Calling federally funded weatherization of private homes a “no-brainer,” Vice President Biden gave Republicans a new opening to criticize the lack of jobs created by stimulus spending
At an event in New Hampshire, Biden said the administration is about one-third of the way to realizing President Obama’s goal of weatherizing 600,000 homes.
“If we keep up the current weatherization pace, we’ll lessen our dependence on foreign oil by 1.5 million barrels, the equivalent of going out today, waving a wand and taking 107,000 automobiles off the road permanently, saving consumers a lot of money,” Biden said.
Republicans noted that last year, Obama and Biden promised the stimulus funding would weatherize at least 2 million homes.
And Biden’s claim that weatherizing homes was a jobs generator also drew detractors, noting the recession took 8 million jobs and the $814 billion stimulus has created at most 3.3 million jobs.
“No matter where I go, I’m hearing the same refrain: Where are the jobs?” said Rep. John Fleming, a Louisiana Republican. “And you know, it would be comical if it wasn’t so sad about all the money we have wasted, on a stimulus bill and really a series of jobs bills that have actually done nothing for the American people.”
Throughout the summer, dubbed “Recovery Summer” by the White House, efforts by the administration to tout modest economic improvements have repeatedly been brought up short by one rejoinder: What about jobs?
In selling his stimulus package last year, Obama promised to save or create 4 million jobs. He said job creation would be the best benchmark of the success of his spending program.
A report earlier this week from the Congressional Budget Office concluded the Recovery and Reinvestment Act increased the ranks of the employed by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million.
The $5 billion of stimulus earmarked for weatherizing has so far created about 13,000 jobs, Biden said.
“It’s created jobs, good-paying jobs, green jobs, jobs that can’t be exported, jobs you can raise a family on,” Biden said.
But earlier this year, Energy Department Inspector General Gregory Friedman called the program an economic bust. “The job creation impact of what was considered to be one of the Department’s most ‘shovel ready’ projects has not materialized,” he wrote. “And, modest income home residents have not enjoyed the significant reductions in energy consumption and improved living conditions promised as part of the massive Recovery Act weatherization effort.”
It may be too late for Biden’s upbeat message to translate into electoral gains for Democrats. A recent Gallup poll found 48 percent of Americans rate the economy as poor — the highest level for the year.
The administration has tried to blunt Republican criticism by saying the minority party has only regressive, backward-looking alternatives such as tax cuts to offer.
Biden said that Republicans who opposed the energy investments in the stimulus that fund programs like weatherization actually hinder job creation.
“You know, I love my friends on the other side saying we’re anti-business,” Biden said. “I would respectfully suggest they’re anti-business. I’m not being facetious.”
But Republican lawmakers, notably House members up for re-election, said recess events in their home districts are underscoring widespread economic discontent the party thinks will play out in its favor come November.
“Evidently, nothing excites a liberal Democrat more than the pornography of excessive federal spending,” said Rep. Dan Lungren, a California Republican. “I can tell you, that is not what people want here.”
