Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement in response to reports of more reckless acts by taxpayer bailout recipient AIG. The beleaguered financial services company has decided to use $165 million, out of the roughly $170 billion they have received, on employee bonuses and retention pay.

“The circus at AIG should remind everyone that taxpayers should not be dragged into the dealings of reckless private companies,” said Congressman Price. “The bonus money distributed by AIG is indefensible, yet we must not lose perspective that taxpayers are unnecessarily on the hook for over one thousand times the amount paid out this week. As the Obama administration moves to recoup the bonuses, they ought to develop an exit strategy to get back the other $170 billion taxpayers have sacrificed.

“While Democrats continue to talk about new rounds of stimulus and bailouts, the American people know we must find an exit strategy from these corporate handouts. It is my hope that this episode will mark the beginning of a new era in which Washington respects hard-earned tax dollars instead of throwing more good money after bad.”