Bill Nelson, U.S. Senator from Florida: Statement: Video of Sen. Nelson on why he's voting for the stimulus package

MR. PRESIDENT, I WISH THAT THIS VOTE THIS AFTERNOON ON THE STIMULUS PACKAGE WAS TAKING PLACE A WEEK FROM NOW - AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S DAY RECESS; AFTER SENATORS HAVE GONE HOME TO THEIR STATES AND LOOKED INTO THE EYES OF THEIR PEOPLE AND UNDERSTOOD THE PAIN AND ANGUISH ACROSS AMERICA – AND, HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE DEPENDING ON US, THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, TO STOP THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF OUR ECONOMY.

THIS SENATOR IS GOING TO DO TOWN-HALL MEETINGS ALL ACROSS FLORIDA NEXT WEEK. AND I KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO HEAR. IT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING EVERY WEEKEND WHEN WE GO HOME. IT'S THESE HORROR STORIES, THESE IMPOSSIBLE ECONOMIC STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED HARD AND PLAYED BY THE RULES AND DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT AND THEY LOSE THEIR JOB, THEY LOSE THEIR HOME, THEY GET UPSIDE-DOWN IN AN ECONOMIC CONDITION AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY HOPE.

IF ALL THE SENATORS COULD HEAR THE STORIES, THEY'D UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS $10 BILLION IN THIS BILL IN INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE; IN SCIENCE; AND $14 BILLION FOR HEALTH; AND $106 BILLION FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND ENERGY. WHY THERE’S $30 BILLION IN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND HELPING DIRECT $24 BILLION IN ECONOMIC HEALTH TO THOSE HIT HARDEST BY THE ECONOMY; AND HELPING LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH $7.8 BILLION.

MY STATE IS ONE OF THE STATES THAT'S BEEN THE HARDEST HIT. WE ARE SECOND ONLY TO CALIFORNIA IN THE NUMBER OF FORECLOSED HOMES. YOU WONDER: WHY DID THE PRESIDENT GO TO FORT MEYERS, FLORIDA? THAT AREA HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF FORECLOSURES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. AND PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING LAID OFF THERE - THERE IS NO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO FIND ANOTHER JOB.

AND IN THIS STIMULUS BILL, WITH THE SPENDING AND TAX CUTS, SOME $10 BILLION IS GOING TO GO TO MY STATE. IT'S GOING TO BE FOR ROAD BUILDING. IT'S GOING TO BE FOR HEALTH CARE. IT'S GOING TO BE FOR CLASSROOMS AND TEACHERS. IT'S GOING TO BE FOR FOOD STAMPS. IT'S GOING TO BE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION. IT'S GOING TO BE FOR MEDICAID.

LOOK AT THE HUMAN FACE. OUR PEOPLE ARE HURTING – AND, THEY NEED HELP.

THIS IS COMPASSIONATE ASSISTANCE THAT, IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNWARD SPIRAL, ONLY THE GOVERNMENT CAN PROVIDE.

SPECIFICALLY, IN FLORIDA, THIS BILL IS GOING TO CREATE OR SAVE 206,000 JOBS. NATIONWIDE, IT'S GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 3 MILLION AND 4 MILLION JOBS THAT IT'S GOING TO CREATE OR SAVE.

OVER A MILLION JOBS ALREADY HAVE BEEN LOST SINCE THE FIRST OF LAST YEAR. BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL MILLION MORE THAT ARE GOING TO BE LOST, SEVERAL MILLION MORE THAT ARE GOING TO BE LOST IN THIS COUNTRY, IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING.

WORKERS IN FLORIDA WHO HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS IN THIS RECESSION ARE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE HELP IN UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION. AND, IN ADDITION, WHAT THIS BILL IS GOING TO DO FOR MY STATE OF FLORIDA IS THAT IT'S GOING TO GIVE FUNDING SUFFICIENT TO MODERNIZE 485 SCHOOLS. SO OUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO HAVE LABS AND CLASSROOMS AND LIBRARIES THAT THEY NEED TO GET READY TO COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY.

AND THEN, IN ADDITION, THIS LEGISLATION IS GOING TO HELP TRANSFORM THE ECONOMY IN MY STATE. IN FLORIDA ALONE, BY DOUBLING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATING CAPACITY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, IT'S GOING TO CREATE ENOUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY IN FLORIDA TO POWER 6 MILLION HOMES.

AND WE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION IN TAX CUTS FOR LOW-AND MODERATE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS EVER. AND THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, TOO.

WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE INVESTMENT IN ROADS AND BRIDGES AND MASS TRANSITS. WE NEED ALL OF THIS IN FLORIDA. THIS IS STIMULUS. THIS IS PROVIDING JOBS. THIS IS HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED. THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR FLORIDA - AND, THE NATION.

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