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Lawmakers Assess Stimulus Impact In Maryland, Virginia

February 18, 2010
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By Sara Sciammacco

On this one-year anniversary, Democrats are making the case that stimulus dollars have helped create thousands of jobs and prevented layoffs in Maryland and Virginia. Republicans say the legislation, which aims to turn around the economy, has fallen way short.

The Obama administration cites the much-slowed down rate of job loss as evidence that the stimulus bill is working. Republicans counter that it has failed to create all the jobs Democrats said it would.

Unemployment has actually gone up in Maryland and Virginia since last year. Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) says there are better ways to help people get back to work.

"We do that by keeping our spending in federal government lower so that we have the cash out there for private sector to grow and grow the jobs," says Forbes. "That's where jobs have already been grown in the United States through the private sector."

According to the Obama Administration, Virginia got $1.3 billion, which helped create 5,000 jobs. Still, 7 percent of its population is out of work.

Vice President Joe Biden says the full effects of the stimulus have yet to be seen.

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