WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today delivered the following remarks prior to the House vote on H.R. 1, the Democrat spending bill:

(As prepared for delivery)

“Outside the walls of Congress, America is paralyzed by a suffocating crisis of confidence. A virus that began in the credit and housing markets has spread to infect the broader economy. Small businesses are hunkered down. The promise of retaining or finding a solid job slips further out of reach for American workers.

“With any stimulus package, Congress has a responsibility to re-instill lost confidence and it has an obligation to focus our efforts like a laser on the creation, preservation and protection of sustainable jobs.

“That’s why the bill we are voting on today represents a fundamental dereliction of duty on the part of the majority. This legislation will not put people to work right away. Nor does it contain the time-honored incentives for work, investment, innovation and job creation that are proven to stimulate growth. This week I spoke with the struggling business owner in my district. How could I tell him I’m voting for a bill that gives more money to initiatives like federal government cars than it gives in tax relief to small businesses like his?

“This bill is loaded with wasteful deficit spending on the majority’s favorite government programs. We need jobs, not mountains of debt to be paid by our children. We can do better. We should do better. We proposed a plan on our side that did do better and created twice as many jobs at half the cost.”

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