Boehner: Obama infrastructure plan is more failed stimulus

House Republican leader John Boehner (Ohio) on Monday criticized President Barack Obama’s proposal to boost infrastructure investment as more stimulus spending doomed to fail.
 
“As the American people, facing near double-digit unemployment, mark Labor Day by asking, where are the jobs, the White House has chosen to double-down on more of the same failed ‘stimulus’ spending,” Boehner said in a prepared statement.
 

Republicans have targeted an unemployment rate that continues to hover above 9 percent despite last year’s economic stimulus plan. “If we’ve learned anything from the past 18 months, it’s that we can’t spend our way to prosperity,” Boehner said. “We don’t need more government ‘stimulus’ spending — we need to end Washington Democrats’ out-of-control spending spree, stop their tax hikes, and create jobs by eliminating the job-killing uncertainty that is hampering our small businesses.”

Both political parties have continued to spout well-oiled talking points heading into November’s midterm election that many predict will see Republicans gaining seats in both the House and Senate and at least narrowing the Democratic congressional majority. The White House and Democratic leaders have said stimulus funding has helped what could have been a far worse loss of jobs and economic stability.
 
Obama later Monday will call on Congress to provide $50 billion in upfront investment to improve roads, railways and runways as part of a larger six-year strategy to reauthorize surface transportation law.

Senior administration officials Monday labeled the investment as a front-loaded longer term strategy rather than an extension of short-term stimulus funding.