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Dems say stimulus aids overseas companies

WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) -- Four Democratic senators called on the government to end a U.S. stimulus program creating clean-energy jobs, saying too much cash created jobs overseas.

However, President Barack Obama's administration and wind-energy advocates dispute criticism by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and three other Democrats, saying most of the jobs created under the program were in the United States, despite foreign manufacturers dominating the green-technology sector, The Washington Post reported.

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Schumer -- along with Sens. Robert P. Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana -- said the Obama administration ignored concerns raised about foreign involvement in the clean-energy program.

"It is a no-brainer that stimulus funds should only go to projects that create jobs in the United States, rather than overseas," Schumer said. "These wind projects have a lot of merit, but the manufacturing should be happening here, not (elsewhere)."

Administration officials and wind-energy industry representatives said the senators' concern is misplaced and based on faulty information, including an American University study that estimated up to 80 percent of stimulus money spent on wind turbines so far went to foreign-owned companies, the Post said.

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