Commentary

Obama Releases Guidance on Stimulus Spending

In a memo to federal agency heads, President Obama has laid out guidance for the use of stimulus money and the projects it will fund. Government Executive has the memo here. And according to their article on the memo,

“Decisions about how Recovery Act dollars are spent will be based on the merits,” Obama told the National Conference of State Legislatures. Initiatives that maximize job creation, make health care affordable, rebuild crumbling roads and bridges, or provide other “enduring benefits” to taxpayers must take priority, he said.

and Biden told the US Conference of Mayors,

“The increasingly tough times we face — and specific provisions of the Recovery Act — suggest that some types of projects, though not explicitly prohibited, are inconsistent with the purpose of the act, and should not be funded,” Biden wrote. “At this critical moment, we simply cannot afford to fund projects that do not meet absolutely critical needs.”