Limbaugh allowed Cantor to falsely claim on his show that CBO said recovery bill "is not a stimulative bill"

During the January 28 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh allowed guest Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) to falsely claim of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: "Even the Congressional Budget Office [CBO], controlled by the Democrats now, says it is not a stimulative bill." In fact, the CBO stated in its January 26 report: "CBO anticipates that implementation of H.R. 1 would have a noticeable impact on economic growth and employment in the next few years." Further, during his January 27 testimony before the House Committee on the Budget, CBO director Douglas Elmendorf said that H.R. 1 would "provide massive fiscal stimulus that includes a combination of government spending increases and revenue reductions." Elmendorf further stated: "In CBO's judgment, H.R. 1 would provide a substantial boost to economic activity over the next several years relative to what would occur without any legislation."

From Elmendorf's January 27 congressional testimony:

H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, would provide massive fiscal stimulus that includes a combination of government spending increases and revenue reductions. According to estimates by CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), that legislation would widen the federal budget deficit by $170 billion in fiscal year 2009, $356 billion in fiscal year 2010, $174 billion in fiscal year 2011, and by a total of $816 billion over the 2009-2019 period (excluding additional interest costs).

In CBO's judgment, H.R. 1 would provide a substantial boost to economic activity over the next several years relative to what would occur without any legislation. With the legislation, CBO estimates, output would be between 1.3 percent and 3.6 percent higher at the end of this year, higher by a similar amount at the end of next year, and 0.5 percent to 1.4 percent higher at the end of 2011. That additional production would raise the demand for workers, turning some part-time jobs into full-time jobs and boosting the number of people employed. According to CBO's estimates, the number of jobs would be between 0.8 million and 2.1 million higher at the end of this year, 1.2 million to 3.6 million higher at the end of next year, and 0.7 million to 2.1 million higher at the end of 2011.

From the January 28 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: It could be [NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent] Andrea Mitchell, it could be anybody in the drive-by media, just basically treating you as a suspect, accusing you of opposing this marvelous, miraculous package just because it's his. I don't think she has the slightest idea what's in it after you told her.

CANTOR: Right, and that's the frustrating part, Rush. But we're not giving up, and thank goodness you're there to try and help get the message out about what this bill is and isn't. This is a -- this is a spending bill. This is not a stimulus bill. And, you know, the message to the president that I've delivered on several occasions has been this: You were elected by the people of this country because they had hope that you would actually change the way that our federal government works so that it could start working for the people again. And first order of business should be to cut the waste and pork barrel spending in Washington.

This bill is so chock full of government expansion, they can't -- you -- it's hard to even find the stimulus programs in here. Even the Congressional Budget Office, controlled by the Democrats now, says it is not a stimulative bill. Twelve cents out of every dollar could be maybe argued that it is worth some stimulative effect. That is a far cry from doing things the right way and delivering results.

LIMBAUGH: Congressman, did you happen to have a chance this morning to hear President Obama's remarks in the White House after the two CEOs from IBM and Honeywell spoke?

CANTOR: No, I didn't.