Wheels Falling Off Team Carney As His Re-Election Chances Continue To Look More Remote

HARRISBURG — Republican Party of Pennsylvania Spokesman Mike Barley released the following statement regarding the lies and false accusations being spread by Congressman Chris Carney:

“Clearly, Chris Carney’s goal is to divert attention away from his record of supporting big-government policies like ObamaCare and the stimulus,” Barley said. “Carney refuses to talk about his record on job creation even as the unemployment rate in Northeastern Pennsylvania is mired in double-digits and his vote for ObamaCare caused Mercy Health Systems to sell hospitals in the region.

“Carney’s attempts to change the discussion would be much more effective if he had any facts to back his claims up. His attacks on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have been completely debunked by every reputable news organization, including FactCheck.org and The New York Times. There is no truth to his accusations and we call on him to stop spreading this misinformation immediately.

“Another troubling part of this article is Chris Carney’s assertion that he has worked hard to keep jobs in America. That claim does not hold water when you look at his support of the stimulus which shipped countless jobs overseas. Nearly 80% of stimulus funding reserved for green jobs went to firms overseas. Recently, it was even found that 72,000 stimulus checks were sent to dead people. Chris Carney needs to realize that while he is wasting taxpayer dollars sending money to dead people, Pennsylvanians living in his district are struggling just to make ends’ meet.

“Chris Carney is willing to say or do anything to stay in power. As we have witnessed with other desperate politicians, namely Arlen Specter, that’s just about the time we should get rid of them. It’s time to bounce Chris Carney and vote for Tom Marino.”

According to an article on the Daily Review on Friday, Congressman Carney continued to lob false charges and misrepresent his record on the issues:

“A lot of those ads were sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. What we don’t know is who is paying for the chamber’s ads,” Carney said. “We have found out that some foreign countries and foreign companies are actually paying for the ads.

“The point is that these companies are the ones that want our jobs. These companies are the ones that want to take jobs from Americans and bring them to where they are. I have been fighting for four years to keep jobs in America…”

FactCheck.org: “Democrats, From President Barack Obama On Down, Are Trying To Turn An Evidence-Free Allegation Into A Major Campaign Theme, Claiming That Foreign Corporations Are ‘Stealing Our Democracy’ With Secret, Illegal Contributions Funneled Through The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce. It’s A Claim With Little Basis In Fact.” (Brooks Jackson, “Foreign Money? Really?” FactCheck.org, 10/11/10)

Now, it is becoming apparent that at least some of the Stimulus bill’s funds intended to “create or save” our jobs were funded through tax breaks that went to foreign companies for renewable energy projects, creating jobs overseas.

  • $2.3 billion of manufacturing tax credits from the economic stimulus bill went to foreign firms that employed workers primarily in countries including China, South Korea and Spain, rather than in the United States
  • In a Sept. 9, 2010, article, the Washington Times reported, “About $92 billion — more than 11 percent — of Mr. Obama’s original $814 billion of stimulus funds were targeted for renewable energy projects when the measure was pushed through Congress in early 2009…The Department of Energy estimated that 82,000 jobs have been created and has acknowledged that as much as 80 percent of some green programs, including $2.3 billion of manufacturing tax credits, went to foreign firms that employed workers primarily in countries including China, South Korea and Spain, rather than in the United States.”[1]
  • A vast majority, nearly 80 percent, of stimulus funding for clean-energy grants went to foreign companies
  • In a March 3, 2010, article, Politico reported, “Senate Democrats are furious that the vast majority of grants from the clean-energy program from last year’s stimulus have been awarded to foreign companies.

“Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana announced Wednesday a new initiative to require the ‘Buy America’ provision of the stimulus to all programs, not just the government ones. A study done by the Investigative Reporting Workshop found that 79 percent of the $2 billion in clean-energy grants allocated since Sept. 1, 2009, has gone to foreign wind companies.”[2]

  • 11 U.S. wind farms used their stimulus grants to purchase 695 out of 982 wind turbines from overseas suppliers
  • In a Sept. 9, 2010, article, the Washington Times reported, “In one of several embarrassing disclosures for the administration, a report last fall by American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop found that 11 U.S. wind farms used their grants to purchase 695 out of 982 wind turbines from overseas suppliers.

“That report raised alarms in Congress. Leading Democrats insisted that the money be spent at home, but restrictions on the funds proved impossible without the specter of a trade war.” [3]

  • Most of the windmills built using stimulus dollars have been built overseas with jobs outside of the United States
  • According to a Feb. 9, 2010, report by ABC News, “Nearly 2 billion stimulus dollars have been spent to build these things [windmills]. The problem, most of them have been built overseas; the jobs outside of the United States.”[4]
  • The full report can be viewed here: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/green-stimulus-jobs-china-9791516
  • Congress may be to blame, the way the law is written, projects get money regardless of where the equipment is made
  • According to a Feb. 9, 2010, report by ABC News, “Congress may be to blame. The way the law is written, projects get money regardless of where the equipment is made.”[5]
  • The full report can be viewed here: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/green-stimulus-jobs-china-9791516

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[1] Patrice Hill, “‘Green’ jobs no longer golden in stimulus,” Washington Times, Sept. 9, 2010
[2] Meredith Shiner, “Stimulus money goes overseas,” Politico, March 3, 2010
[3] Patrice Hill, “‘Green’ jobs no longer golden in stimulus,” Washington Times, Sept. 9, 2010
[4] “Green Stimulus Jobs going to China?,” ABC News, Feb. 2, 2009
[5] “Green Stimulus Jobs going to China?,” ABC News, Feb. 2, 2009