Hastings talks to Moses Lake rotary

MOSES LAKE — Congressman Doc Hastings, R-4th District, briefed the Moses Lake Rotary Club Wednesday on the national stimulus package, health care and natural resources.

More than 50 people attended the lunch at Pillar Rock Grill in Moses Lake.

“There’s no question the overall economy is slowing,” Hastings said. “There’s no question the world economy is slowing.”

He said Congress must act on the issue but the question is how to take action to stimulate the economy.

Hastings said he doubts success will come with the $800 billion stimulus package recently approved by President Barack Obama.

“You cannot spend your way to prosperity,” Hastings said.

He said the package is funded through borrowed money and by the time it is repaid, it will have cost more than $1 trillion.

Hastings said he would have proposed providing tax relief incentives to small business owners to stimulate the economy and create jobs.

“You go where the jobs are,” he said.

He said roughly one percent of the stimulus package approved by Obama will go toward small business relief.

“It’s a very huge spending bill,” Hastings said. “Spending money does not get you out of debt.”

He said the stimulus package has a provision effecting record keeping of medical information, allowing for more easily transferable medical records. This could result in the government having access to private information.

“We’ll see how it works out,” he said.

Hastings also discussed natural resources, specifically crude oil.

“At some point we’ll probably run out of crude oil,” he said.

He said it most likely won’t happen soon, but says it’s inevitable.

The technology is available to safely drill oil offshore without the risk of contamination. When stored oil in the area of Texas and Louisiana were struck by category five storms, they did not rupture, he said.

 Hastings said the moratorium on offshore drilling must be lifted for the U.S. to become energy independent.

“It’s in our best interest to be energy independent,” he said. “I think we’re in for some long struggle as our economy tries to rebound over time.”