Sen. George Voinovich, talking to farm media in D.C. March 10.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. George Voinovich may have announced his retirement after his term ends in 2010, but he’s not done fighting.
Voinovich, who spoke to a group of Ohio Farm Bureau county leaders visiting Washington March 10, outlined his opinions for pulling the country out of its economic doldrums.
First, the senator said, we need to restore people’s faith and confidence in the future.
Next, we need to restore credit markets, then restore property values.
Fourth, we need to be sure to respond to human needs. “There will be more people hurting,” Voinovich said, before this is over.
And, finally, it all comes down to jobs. “We gotta have jobs,” he said.
‘No’ to stimulus package
But Voinovich voted “no” on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, saying it was weighed down by too much spending that was “not stimulative” and add-ons that should be funded through the regular appropriations process.
A fiscal conservative, Voinovich said the $789 billion package will add more than $1.1 trillion to the national debt over 10 years.
“We’re paying for it; my kids are going to pay for it; my grandchildren are going to pay for it,” the senator told the Ohio farmers.
The day after he spoke to the Ohioans, he voted against the omnibus appropriations package, although it passed the Senate by a 62-35 vote.
“We should be working harder and smarter and doing more with less,” Voinovich said of the two bills.
“We have to get back to the values that are in this room.”
He also expressed concern about the Obama administration’s desire that government play a bigger role, “more like what we have in Europe.”
“That’s baloney.”
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