Joe Biden defends Obama administration’s economic recovery efforts
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Vice President Joe Biden today defended the Obama administration’s efforts to revive the economy, acknowledging that some errors may have been made but, overall, the programs of direct funds and tax credits have created or saved more than 1 million jobs.
“The Recovery Act is performing as advertised, playing its part in lifting Americans back up,” Biden said at a televised bipartisan news conference with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat.
How the Obama administration is dealing with the economic recovery has become a political football and will likely continue to be one through next year’s midterm elections. Republicans, as they have in the past, criticized the administration’s bookkeeping and the quality of the jobs.
“Americans, particularly those with friends and family out of work, know that the administration’s claims of stimulus success and jobs saved or created are not serious,” Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said in a statement issued today.
“With unemployment approaching 10% this holiday season and millions of jobs lost since the stimulus became law, we must focus on what is most important and prioritize the way that Washington spends,” he stated.
Biden, who heads the administration’s relief efforts, brushed aside the complaints.
“We know this not 100% accurate,’ Biden said of media reports on how recovery funds are being spent. ‘But we are on the right track.’
The vice president said that the administration’s efforts, including a $787-billion stimulus package and another package of tax credits, are responsible for creating or saving more than 640,000 jobs directly and hundreds of thousands of additional jobs to bring the total to more than 1 million.
Biden then introduced Schwarzenegger, who has emerged as one of the administration’s strongest supporters because of California’s ongoing financial woes. Schwarzenegger does “not have a partisan bone in his body; he’s one tough guy,” Biden said.
Schwarzenegger estimated that more than 100,000 jobs were saved or created in his state, or about 10% of the national total.
“This help has been very welcome,” the governor said, adding later that, unlike some other governors from his party, he would happily accept double the federal help.
— Michael Muskal
Twitter.com/Latimesmuskal
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