August 11, 2010: for immediate release

Doggett Amendment Penalizing Texas Schools Adds Insult to Injury

House Democrats voted this week to rob Texas and other states that balanced their budgets in order to give a $23 billion federal bailout to California and other big deficit states, through passage of the latest Obama Administration "stimulus" program.

"Speaker Pelosi’s House just took the proverbial savings of the hardworking ant and gave it to the grasshopper," says House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (TX31). "Texas and other states who made the tough choices to cut their spending and balance their budgets in tough economic times have just had their hard-won savings robbed and given to the states who have failed to balance their books. This action defies fiscal prudence, defies commonsense, and defies the sense of right and wrong of the majority of this country."

Carter says the fact that Democrat Congressman Lloyd Doggett succeeded in adding an amendment specifically penalizing Texas schools is a slap in the face to all Texans for pure political purposes, and that the amendment will likely be found in violation of both the Texas and U.S. Constitution.

"All this just adds to the list of specific legislation to be repealed by the new Congress in January," Carter says. "In addition, I would like to see any funds transferred under this bill be recovered and returned to the states who were penalized when this House changes hands."