Quayle v. Zandi on stimulus

Freshman Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) on Tuesday rejected predictions that GOP spending cut plans would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, and said these  estimates are coming from economists who sympathize with Democrats.

Quayle's comments on the floor came just one day after Moody's Economy.com analyst Mark Zandi said the FY 2011 spending bill supported by Republicans would cost 700,000 jobs. But Quayle said Zandi routinely supports Democratic spending plans.

"I'm sure Mr. Zandi is a nice enough person, but in recent years, he hasn't seen a spending increase he didn't like," Quayle said. "He was the Democrats' go-to guy when they were looking for an economist to endorse the stimulus, and he even endorsed a second stimulus package after the initial $1 trillion package was signed into law."

"So before my Democrat colleagues start touting Mr. Zandi's report, I suggest they look at his record on the so-called stimulus," Quayle added.

The issue of spending cuts took center stage on Tuesday morning, as the House prepared to vote on a two-week spending bill that is expected to pass both the House and the Senate.

Democrats taking the floor on Tuesday, including House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), spoke in opposition to the full FY 2011 spending bill that would cut $61 billion from current spending levels, but did not speak against the two-week spending bill.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday also released a report that found billions of dollars in duplicative spending, which is creating more Republican enthusiasm for cuts.