I am writing in response to a Feb. 10 letter about Rep. Rick Larsen’s concern with government spending. (“Larsen’s concern comes a little late”).
Last year, Rep. Larsen made some tough but necessary votes to save our economy from catastrophe, and they worked. Thanks in large part to the Recovery Act that Larsen supported, our economy is growing. Last quarter, the GDP rose 5.7 percent, which is the largest gain in six years. Economists also credit the Recovery Act with creating or saving more than 2 million jobs across the country. I think those 2 million workers would agree that Rep. Larsen made the right vote.
In regard to government spending, Rep. Larsen is clear that he believes both Republicans and Democrats contributed to our nation’s fiscal mess and he is committed to working across party lines to clean it up. Larsen is proving that he is not going to just talk about controlling spending but actually do something about it. He voted for PAYGO, a measure that will hold Congress accountable for any spending increases and help to lower the deficit. And, as the Herald editorial applauded him for, he has co-sponsored legislation to form a commission to identify ways to cut government spending and get the nation out of this fiscal crisis.
Northwest Washington is lucky to have Rep. Larsen sitting on the House Budget Committee where he can continue to work hard to reduce government spending and tackle the nation’s deficit.
Diana Phillips
Marysville
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