Stimulus Bill in Senate
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Re: Stimulus bill passes House
Honestly, if this do not work, the republicans got some ammo in 2010, and 2012.
BTW, it has WAY TOO MUCH SPENDING on stuff that has no chance on stimulating the economy. This is why republicans didn't sign on to this. 80 percent pork, when Obama pledges to get pork out of legislation.....
*Obama lie number 1*
Honestly, if this do not work, the republicans got some ammo in 2010, and 2012.
BTW, it has WAY TOO MUCH SPENDING on stuff that has no chance on stimulating the economy. This is why republicans didn't sign on to this. 80 percent pork, when Obama pledges to get pork out of legislation.....
*Obama lie number 1*
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
<h2>
<a name="washington_news"></a>House Dems Pass Obama Stimulus</h2>
<font size="4">Media Coverage of the House Stimulus Vote</font size>
<div id="article_date">Thursday, January 29, 2009</div>
Media coverage of the House stimulus vote tends to focus on the tally's sharp partisan divide, which is being cast as a disappointment for President Obama. <u>ABC World News</u> said Republicans turned "a cold shoulder to the President's appeal for bipartisan support." The <u>CBS Evening News</u> led its broadcast by reporting "Obama made an in-person appeal to House Republicans...but it didn't work." The "final tally, 244 yays and 188 nays. Twelve Democrats also voted no." <u>NBC Nightly News</u> reported that Obama "doesn't need Republican votes. But he wants them."
The bill, says the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/28/AR2009012800196.html?hpid=topnews"><u>Washington Post</u></a>, "is among the most expensive pieces of legislation ever to move through Congress, and marked the biggest victory of his presidency a little more than a week into his term." <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/60944.html"><u>McClatchy</u></a> says White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel "met privately on Tuesday night with a small group of GOP moderates, but the effort was futile." The <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090128/ap_on_bi_ge/obama_economy;_ylt=AjYR0OQsKTwiMwjAJoU3GkJp24cA"><u>AP</u></a> reports "one participant" described the meeting with Emanuel as "a soft sales job." <a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/emanuels-sales-pitch-fails-on-first-try-2009-01-28.html"><u>The Hill</u></a> lists the GOP moderates, while the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29obama.html?hp"><u>New York Times</u></a>, meanwhile, quotes Emanuel saying of the House vote, "The most important number here for this recovery plan is how many jobs it produces, not how many votes it gets."
<u>CNN's Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull</u> reported the White House is "deep down" disappointed by the lack of House GOP support for the stimulus bill, but "publicly they are trying to keep a brave face." On <u>CNN's The Situation Room</u>, Gloria Borger said she was "sort of stunned" that no House Republicans voted for the stimulus bill, but "I was told by a Democratic source that there may have been about 30 Republican who were leaning toward voting for it."
Under the headline "GOP Gambles With Stimulus," <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_80/news/31870-1.html"><u>Roll Call</u></a> reports Republicans "hoping to rebound from a second straight drubbing at the polls have placed a very large bet against the $825 billion stimulus package that is the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's early agenda." The <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123315486943524321.html"><u>Wall Street Journal</u></a> reports, "House Republican leadership aides said the vote should force Democrats to compromise in the Senate, but White House aides were more sanguine." They "said the package in the Senate has already moved toward Republican positions on key issues, making GOP votes more likely. Mr. Obama has said he wants a final compromise version by Feb. 13." <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/executive/president/2009-01-27-obama-economy_N.htm"><u>USA Today</u></a>, the <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/29/stimulus-plan-passes-in-house-without-gop/"><u>Washington Times</u></a>, the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c94d5f7e-ed66-11dd-bd60-0000779fd2ac.html"><u>Financial Times</u></a>, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18152.html"><u>The Politico</u></a>, <a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-gets-his-stimulus-but-not-bipartisan-support-2009-01-28.html"><u>The Hill</u></a>, the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-house-stimulus29-2009jan29,0,7683905.story"><u>Los Angeles Times</u></a> and <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090129/ts_alt_afp/uspoliticsobamaeconomyhousevote;_ylt=AjDcpewVQb9MqMsl7_hgAIGyBhIF"><u>AFP</u></a>, among other news outlets, also highlight the party-line vote.
<b><i>Some Question Value Of Stimulus Provisions</i></b>
<u>ABC World News</u> reported "Republicans say the bill is filled with old-fashioned big-government spending that won't stimulate the economy. For example, $335 million for sexually transmitted disease prevention, $600 million to buy new cars for government employees, and $1 billion to follow up on the 2010 census, which, of course, hasn't happened yet." Under the headline "Stimulus Package's Components Vary In Speed And Efficiency," the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29assess.html?hp"><u>New York Times</u></a> says "estimating how effective the huge program of tax cuts and spending will be in getting America's economic engines humming again is a far more complex calculation requiring almost line-by-line scrutiny of the 647-page bill, lawmakers, economists and policy analysts say." <u>CNN's Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull</u> reported, "This is why so many conservatives oppose this bill. ...A lot of this just advances a Democratic agenda. Of course, Democrats would say, oh, it will help the economy in the long run. But it is not immediate stimulus. And that's why this is the most political and controversial part of this bill."
The <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/29/economic-stimulus-bills-allot-millions-for-std-pre/"><u>Washington Times</u></a> reports that "Republicans and some Democrats have complained that the recovery bill is loaded with items that would provide little short-term help in boosting the economy" and "instead has become a vehicle for congressional Democrats to get approval for projects they've been unable to secure in recent years." One example is the $335 million in the House and $400 million in the Senate versions devoted to "the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases."
<b><i>Obama Invites Lawmakers For Drinks</i></b>
The <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090128/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_drinks;_ylt=AvGxrql6MqBykCxKrIsstIRp24cA"><u>AP</u></a> reports "Obama has invited Republican and Democratic lawmakers for drinks at the White House as they consider his economic recovery bill that still faces opposition." The AP adds that "White House aides say about two dozen key members of Congress were invited to the Executive Mansion Wednesday evening. The guest list includes six House Democrats, six House Republicans and five senators from each party." <a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/emanuels-sales-pitch-fails-on-first-try-2009-01-28.html"><u>The Hill</u></a> lists the invitees.</p>
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_090129.htm
<h2>
<a name="washington_news"></a>House Dems Pass Obama Stimulus</h2>
<font size="4">Media Coverage of the House Stimulus Vote</font size>
<div id="article_date">Thursday, January 29, 2009</div>
Media coverage of the House stimulus vote tends to focus on the tally's sharp partisan divide, which is being cast as a disappointment for President Obama. <u>ABC World News</u> said Republicans turned "a cold shoulder to the President's appeal for bipartisan support." The <u>CBS Evening News</u> led its broadcast by reporting "Obama made an in-person appeal to House Republicans...but it didn't work." The "final tally, 244 yays and 188 nays. Twelve Democrats also voted no." <u>NBC Nightly News</u> reported that Obama "doesn't need Republican votes. But he wants them."
The bill, says the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/28/AR2009012800196.html?hpid=topnews"><u>Washington Post</u></a>, "is among the most expensive pieces of legislation ever to move through Congress, and marked the biggest victory of his presidency a little more than a week into his term." <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/60944.html"><u>McClatchy</u></a> says White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel "met privately on Tuesday night with a small group of GOP moderates, but the effort was futile." The <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090128/ap_on_bi_ge/obama_economy;_ylt=AjYR0OQsKTwiMwjAJoU3GkJp24cA"><u>AP</u></a> reports "one participant" described the meeting with Emanuel as "a soft sales job." <a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/emanuels-sales-pitch-fails-on-first-try-2009-01-28.html"><u>The Hill</u></a> lists the GOP moderates, while the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29obama.html?hp"><u>New York Times</u></a>, meanwhile, quotes Emanuel saying of the House vote, "The most important number here for this recovery plan is how many jobs it produces, not how many votes it gets."
<u>CNN's Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull</u> reported the White House is "deep down" disappointed by the lack of House GOP support for the stimulus bill, but "publicly they are trying to keep a brave face." On <u>CNN's The Situation Room</u>, Gloria Borger said she was "sort of stunned" that no House Republicans voted for the stimulus bill, but "I was told by a Democratic source that there may have been about 30 Republican who were leaning toward voting for it."
Under the headline "GOP Gambles With Stimulus," <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_80/news/31870-1.html"><u>Roll Call</u></a> reports Republicans "hoping to rebound from a second straight drubbing at the polls have placed a very large bet against the $825 billion stimulus package that is the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's early agenda." The <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123315486943524321.html"><u>Wall Street Journal</u></a> reports, "House Republican leadership aides said the vote should force Democrats to compromise in the Senate, but White House aides were more sanguine." They "said the package in the Senate has already moved toward Republican positions on key issues, making GOP votes more likely. Mr. Obama has said he wants a final compromise version by Feb. 13." <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/executive/president/2009-01-27-obama-economy_N.htm"><u>USA Today</u></a>, the <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/29/stimulus-plan-passes-in-house-without-gop/"><u>Washington Times</u></a>, the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c94d5f7e-ed66-11dd-bd60-0000779fd2ac.html"><u>Financial Times</u></a>, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18152.html"><u>The Politico</u></a>, <a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-gets-his-stimulus-but-not-bipartisan-support-2009-01-28.html"><u>The Hill</u></a>, the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-house-stimulus29-2009jan29,0,7683905.story"><u>Los Angeles Times</u></a> and <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090129/ts_alt_afp/uspoliticsobamaeconomyhousevote;_ylt=AjDcpewVQb9MqMsl7_hgAIGyBhIF"><u>AFP</u></a>, among other news outlets, also highlight the party-line vote.
<b><i>Some Question Value Of Stimulus Provisions</i></b>
<u>ABC World News</u> reported "Republicans say the bill is filled with old-fashioned big-government spending that won't stimulate the economy. For example, $335 million for sexually transmitted disease prevention, $600 million to buy new cars for government employees, and $1 billion to follow up on the 2010 census, which, of course, hasn't happened yet." Under the headline "Stimulus Package's Components Vary In Speed And Efficiency," the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29assess.html?hp"><u>New York Times</u></a> says "estimating how effective the huge program of tax cuts and spending will be in getting America's economic engines humming again is a far more complex calculation requiring almost line-by-line scrutiny of the 647-page bill, lawmakers, economists and policy analysts say." <u>CNN's Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull</u> reported, "This is why so many conservatives oppose this bill. ...A lot of this just advances a Democratic agenda. Of course, Democrats would say, oh, it will help the economy in the long run. But it is not immediate stimulus. And that's why this is the most political and controversial part of this bill."
The <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/29/economic-stimulus-bills-allot-millions-for-std-pre/"><u>Washington Times</u></a> reports that "Republicans and some Democrats have complained that the recovery bill is loaded with items that would provide little short-term help in boosting the economy" and "instead has become a vehicle for congressional Democrats to get approval for projects they've been unable to secure in recent years." One example is the $335 million in the House and $400 million in the Senate versions devoted to "the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases."
<b><i>Obama Invites Lawmakers For Drinks</i></b>
The <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090128/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_drinks;_ylt=AvGxrql6MqBykCxKrIsstIRp24cA"><u>AP</u></a> reports "Obama has invited Republican and Democratic lawmakers for drinks at the White House as they consider his economic recovery bill that still faces opposition." The AP adds that "White House aides say about two dozen key members of Congress were invited to the Executive Mansion Wednesday evening. The guest list includes six House Democrats, six House Republicans and five senators from each party." <a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/emanuels-sales-pitch-fails-on-first-try-2009-01-28.html"><u>The Hill</u></a> lists the invitees.</p>
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_090129.htm
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
why dont you merge my post with this one?
why dont you merge my post with this one?
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
What part won't stimulate the economy?
Are you getting your information from the same people who gave us 800 billion to wall street and no one knows where or how that money will be used? And you think your right wingers got ammo? Man you got to quit listing to dope addicts like Rush Limbaugh man.
-VG
What part won't stimulate the economy?
Are you getting your information from the same people who gave us 800 billion to wall street and no one knows where or how that money will be used? And you think your right wingers got ammo? Man you got to quit listing to dope addicts like Rush Limbaugh man.
-VG
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
VG, actinanass check it out: As the record reflects, Mr. Obama, Reid, Dodd, McCain all voted for the 800 bn. Barney Frank, Pelosi, Conyers etc. passed it through the house, and Bush signed it within minutes. It was a bi-partisan effort. Dems and Repubs did this.
They signed a bill that was 450+ pages, within 3 days. Who could've possibly read the entire bill in 3 days? Over 90% of the people were against this, but they passed it anyway
And still no transparency with the allocation of the doe!
We have to start putting our trust in each other because Washington isn't listening to us anymore. VG, I agree, Limbaugh is a dopefiend
VG, actinanass check it out: As the record reflects, Mr. Obama, Reid, Dodd, McCain all voted for the 800 bn. Barney Frank, Pelosi, Conyers etc. passed it through the house, and Bush signed it within minutes. It was a bi-partisan effort. Dems and Repubs did this.
They signed a bill that was 450+ pages, within 3 days. Who could've possibly read the entire bill in 3 days? Over 90% of the people were against this, but they passed it anyway
And still no transparency with the allocation of the doe!We have to start putting our trust in each other because Washington isn't listening to us anymore. VG, I agree, Limbaugh is a dopefiend
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
Good point. But that's not how bills are crafted. 100 plus committees hammer out sections of major legislation like this and hopefully it will contain the presidents priorities. If his people say it does what he needs and ain't much shit to too hard to explain when questioned about it, it gets the thumbs up for signature.
The rest is fodder for talking heads and politically religious wingnuts like Rush.
-VG
VG, actinanass check it out: As the record reflects, Mr. Obama, Reid, Dodd, McCain all voted for the 800 bn. Barney Frank, Pelosi, Conyers etc. passed it through the house, and Bush signed it within minutes. It was a bi-partisan effort. Dems and Repubs did this.
They signed a bill that was 450+ pages, within 3 days. Who could've possibly read the entire bill in 3 days? Over 90% of the people were against this, but they passed it anyway
We have to start putting our trust in each other because Washington isn't listening to us anymore. VG, I agree, Limbaugh is a dopefiend
Good point. But that's not how bills are crafted. 100 plus committees hammer out sections of major legislation like this and hopefully it will contain the presidents priorities. If his people say it does what he needs and ain't much shit to too hard to explain when questioned about it, it gets the thumbs up for signature.
The rest is fodder for talking heads and politically religious wingnuts like Rush.
-VG
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
To the best of my recollection: Monday, Paulson & Bernanke show up before the House saying We need 800 bn or our banking system will fail (the original bill was 3 pages). Tuesday, the House votes and they don't pass the bill. Wednesday, it moves to the Senate despite the rejection from the house, it passes after some persuasion from Mr Obama. Thursday, pork was added to obtain more votes in the House. Friday, House passes a 453 page bill and Bush signs it.
My point is: this was not the normal process for the passage of a bill. this was economic terrorism!
To the best of my recollection: Monday, Paulson & Bernanke show up before the House saying We need 800 bn or our banking system will fail (the original bill was 3 pages). Tuesday, the House votes and they don't pass the bill. Wednesday, it moves to the Senate despite the rejection from the house, it passes after some persuasion from Mr Obama. Thursday, pork was added to obtain more votes in the House. Friday, House passes a 453 page bill and Bush signs it.
My point is: this was not the normal process for the passage of a bill. this was economic terrorism!
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
I didn't agree with the bailout either. The bailout is one of the reason why the republicans lost the 2008 election. This is probably the reason why they are acting the way they are right now.
Thus, why the republicans will eventually have ammo IF this stimulus package do not work.
I didn't agree with the bailout either. The bailout is one of the reason why the republicans lost the 2008 election. This is probably the reason why they are acting the way they are right now.
Thus, why the republicans will eventually have ammo IF this stimulus package do not work.
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
First off, this stimulus will not work. It may slightly improve the economy but hyperinflation is about to hit. It will destroy any improvements made now. The dollar will weaken vs other currencies. This is a problem but we have a enormous trade deficit of $816 million for 2007. Since our nation imports more than it exports, the price of goods will increase. Then businesses who buy more expensive inventory will not absorb the cost. This cost will be balanced by laying off more people or lowering wages.
Spending more will not fix it b/c we are just borrowing more money to fix a problem started by borrowing too much money.
The govt. needs to stay out and let the economy balance out again.
First off, this stimulus will not work. It may slightly improve the economy but hyperinflation is about to hit. It will destroy any improvements made now. The dollar will weaken vs other currencies. This is a problem but we have a enormous trade deficit of $816 million for 2007. Since our nation imports more than it exports, the price of goods will increase. Then businesses who buy more expensive inventory will not absorb the cost. This cost will be balanced by laying off more people or lowering wages.
Spending more will not fix it b/c we are just borrowing more money to fix a problem started by borrowing too much money.
The govt. needs to stay out and let the economy balance out again.
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
tellem Z, the govt must understand that spending does not create economic growth, it is just the opposite. It is economic growth which allows spending to happen. What we need is more production and saving, not more borrowing to consume! We need a govt that promotes policies that encourage production.
And stop trying to police the world!
tellem Z, the govt must understand that spending does not create economic growth, it is just the opposite. It is economic growth which allows spending to happen. What we need is more production and saving, not more borrowing to consume! We need a govt that promotes policies that encourage production.
And stop trying to police the world!
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
Associated Press Jan. 30 said:
- Dwane Powell / Raleigh News and Observer (January 30, 2009)
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
<font size="5"><center>
Stimulus bill likely to shrink
as GOP, Obama trade ideas</font size></center>
McClatchy Newspapers
By David Lightman
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
WASHINGTON — This much is clear: Sometime soon, probably this month, President Barack Obama will sign an economic stimulus plan.
However, it probably will have at least $50 billion less spending than the Senate's current version does, and it probably will win a handful of Republican votes after lengthy White House-congressional negotiations.
Senators huddled on Wednesday — with each other and with Obama — trying to craft a plan that will get the 60 votes needed under Senate rules to stop any filibuster, the tactic that obstructs extended debate.
Republican moderates, joined by some Democrats, were looking for a way to pare the $900 billion-plus package by at least $50 billion, likely by cutting much of the education aid and a long list of small spending initiatives.
Late Wednesday the Senate approved a plan sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., to give anyone who buys a home this year a tax credit of $15,000, or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less.
The Senate also approved an amendment that softens, but doesn't eliminate, the stimulus bill's "Buy American" provisions, which Obama is concerned could anger U.S. trading partners. The amendment requires that the provisions be "applied in a manner consistent with U.S. obligations under international agreements."
Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, met with the president at the White House and listed programs that she thought didn't belong in the stimulus package. She said the president was "very amenable" to the centrists' ideas but made no commitments.
Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., was optimistic. "There's a great desire by a number of us to move pretty quickly," he said.
The Senate still hopes to pass the legislation by the end of the week, but the urge to reach final agreement is complicated by a variety of unusual and sometimes contradictory developments at the Capitol:
Obama is popular, the stimulus is his first major initiative and few lawmakers from either party want to appear defiant.
There's a bipartisan consensus that some sort of big package must be passed as soon as possible. The lawmakers get jolted almost daily by bad economic news and are likely to get more on Friday, when January jobless numbers are released.
Members of both parties are concerned that the current Senate bill is too loaded with projects that won't do anything to provide a quick economic stimulus. Education aid, many say, is a matter for states, not Washington.
At the same time, members see the package as a way to add favored projects, which increase the cost.
The biggest hurdle that Obama and congressional leaders need to overcome is convincing enough members that the bill would provide real stimulus.
"We are really trying to reduce things that have less value in terms of stimulus and investment and move it into a place where we know we really need the money," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D. He was among 14 Democratic senators who met late Wednesday to discuss a compromise.
Yet Obama continued to defend the package's inclusion of long-range policy projects that would add few jobs in the next 18 months: "It is not merely a prescription for short-term spending — it's a strategy for long-term economic growth in areas like renewable energy, health care, and education," he said at the White House.
Also bothering some senators is the package's size. When talks began after the November election, lawmakers initially aimed to craft a $300 billion plan. With the inclusion of broad-based tax cuts, aid to states and a long list of spending projects, it grew to $819 billion in the House of Representatives and has now inched over $900 billion in the Senate.
Conservative Republicans say that $445 billion is enough. Their plan includes temporarily ending part of the payroll tax, lowering the bottom two income tax brackets and providing $32 billion to aid homeowners facing foreclosure. Gone would be aid to education and some health programs, as well as a long list of spending programs that many Republicans, as well as Democrats, say have nothing to do with stimulus.
More likely to gain traction is the compromise being discussed by Conrad, Snowe, Martinez and others. Leading the effort is Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who also met with Obama Wednesday. Among their possible spending cuts are $445 million for computer related expenses at the Agriculture and Energy departments, more than $1 billion in medical research, $650 million for the analog-to-digital television conversion and $1 billion to alleviate overcrowding in federal prisons.
There's a complication, however: Even as members rail against the bloated bill, they can't resist adding projects. The home tax credit would cost about $20 billion, for instance.
Similarly, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski's $11 billion tax break for most car buyers sailed through the Senate on Tuesday. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., complained that the overall bill "has been put together too hurriedly," then sided with Mikulski, saying that her plan "will actually end up moving car sales, helping the industry, helping the automobile manufacturers and the whole industry of dealerships."
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., tried to stop the effort, reminding senators that the auto industry is getting billions in emergency aid from other government sources. And, he argued, a new break would encourage more consumer debt, "when debt is becoming a problem in this country." He lost a key procedural vote by a 3 to 1 margin.
What's probably needed next, leaders said, is a stronger push from Obama. He tried again on Wednesday:
"A failure to act and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession, a less robust recovery, and a more uncertain future," the president said. "Millions more jobs will be lost. More businesses will be shuttered. More dreams will be deferred."
Senate leaders also got a three-page letter from White House Budget Director Peter Orszag reminding them of Obama's "principles," notably that the bill "jump-start job creation with a direct fiscal boost" and revive the housing sector.
Even so, said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, "at some point, we're going to have to learn to say no."
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/61506.html
<font size="5"><center>
Stimulus bill likely to shrink
as GOP, Obama trade ideas</font size></center>
McClatchy Newspapers
By David Lightman
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
WASHINGTON — This much is clear: Sometime soon, probably this month, President Barack Obama will sign an economic stimulus plan.
However, it probably will have at least $50 billion less spending than the Senate's current version does, and it probably will win a handful of Republican votes after lengthy White House-congressional negotiations.
Senators huddled on Wednesday — with each other and with Obama — trying to craft a plan that will get the 60 votes needed under Senate rules to stop any filibuster, the tactic that obstructs extended debate.
Republican moderates, joined by some Democrats, were looking for a way to pare the $900 billion-plus package by at least $50 billion, likely by cutting much of the education aid and a long list of small spending initiatives.
Late Wednesday the Senate approved a plan sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., to give anyone who buys a home this year a tax credit of $15,000, or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less.
The Senate also approved an amendment that softens, but doesn't eliminate, the stimulus bill's "Buy American" provisions, which Obama is concerned could anger U.S. trading partners. The amendment requires that the provisions be "applied in a manner consistent with U.S. obligations under international agreements."
Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, met with the president at the White House and listed programs that she thought didn't belong in the stimulus package. She said the president was "very amenable" to the centrists' ideas but made no commitments.
Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., was optimistic. "There's a great desire by a number of us to move pretty quickly," he said.
The Senate still hopes to pass the legislation by the end of the week, but the urge to reach final agreement is complicated by a variety of unusual and sometimes contradictory developments at the Capitol:
Obama is popular, the stimulus is his first major initiative and few lawmakers from either party want to appear defiant.
There's a bipartisan consensus that some sort of big package must be passed as soon as possible. The lawmakers get jolted almost daily by bad economic news and are likely to get more on Friday, when January jobless numbers are released.
Members of both parties are concerned that the current Senate bill is too loaded with projects that won't do anything to provide a quick economic stimulus. Education aid, many say, is a matter for states, not Washington.
At the same time, members see the package as a way to add favored projects, which increase the cost.
The biggest hurdle that Obama and congressional leaders need to overcome is convincing enough members that the bill would provide real stimulus.
"We are really trying to reduce things that have less value in terms of stimulus and investment and move it into a place where we know we really need the money," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D. He was among 14 Democratic senators who met late Wednesday to discuss a compromise.
Yet Obama continued to defend the package's inclusion of long-range policy projects that would add few jobs in the next 18 months: "It is not merely a prescription for short-term spending — it's a strategy for long-term economic growth in areas like renewable energy, health care, and education," he said at the White House.
Also bothering some senators is the package's size. When talks began after the November election, lawmakers initially aimed to craft a $300 billion plan. With the inclusion of broad-based tax cuts, aid to states and a long list of spending projects, it grew to $819 billion in the House of Representatives and has now inched over $900 billion in the Senate.
Conservative Republicans say that $445 billion is enough. Their plan includes temporarily ending part of the payroll tax, lowering the bottom two income tax brackets and providing $32 billion to aid homeowners facing foreclosure. Gone would be aid to education and some health programs, as well as a long list of spending programs that many Republicans, as well as Democrats, say have nothing to do with stimulus.
More likely to gain traction is the compromise being discussed by Conrad, Snowe, Martinez and others. Leading the effort is Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who also met with Obama Wednesday. Among their possible spending cuts are $445 million for computer related expenses at the Agriculture and Energy departments, more than $1 billion in medical research, $650 million for the analog-to-digital television conversion and $1 billion to alleviate overcrowding in federal prisons.
There's a complication, however: Even as members rail against the bloated bill, they can't resist adding projects. The home tax credit would cost about $20 billion, for instance.
Similarly, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski's $11 billion tax break for most car buyers sailed through the Senate on Tuesday. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., complained that the overall bill "has been put together too hurriedly," then sided with Mikulski, saying that her plan "will actually end up moving car sales, helping the industry, helping the automobile manufacturers and the whole industry of dealerships."
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., tried to stop the effort, reminding senators that the auto industry is getting billions in emergency aid from other government sources. And, he argued, a new break would encourage more consumer debt, "when debt is becoming a problem in this country." He lost a key procedural vote by a 3 to 1 margin.
What's probably needed next, leaders said, is a stronger push from Obama. He tried again on Wednesday:
"A failure to act and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession, a less robust recovery, and a more uncertain future," the president said. "Millions more jobs will be lost. More businesses will be shuttered. More dreams will be deferred."
Senate leaders also got a three-page letter from White House Budget Director Peter Orszag reminding them of Obama's "principles," notably that the bill "jump-start job creation with a direct fiscal boost" and revive the housing sector.
Even so, said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, "at some point, we're going to have to learn to say no."
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/61506.html
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
<font size="5"><center>
Senate reaches tentative stimulus deal</font size><font size="4">
$110 billion trimmed from the stimulus bill
by reducing tax cuts and spending less money on education. </font size></center>
Sen. Arlen Spector, R-PA, far left, Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, Sen. Ben
Nelson, D-NE, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-CT, talk with reporters about
a deal to pass President Obama's stimulus bill at the U.S. Capitol in
Washington on Friday. By Jonathan Ernst, Reuters
USA TODAY
By John Fritze
February 6, 2009
WASHINGTON — On a day when new unemployment statistics showed that 11.6 million Americans are out of work, Senate Democratic leaders announced they had struck a compromise to advance an economic stimulus bill.
A small, bipartisan group of moderate Senators emerged from closed-door negotiations with White House officials Friday evening and said they had reached an agreement to trim $110 billion from the stimulus bill by reducing tax cuts and spending less money on education.
"In the Great Depression, the president and the Congress stood by," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. "Here, now, the U.S. Congress led by President Barack Obama is not standing idly by."
Baucus and other Democrats said that at least three Republican senators will vote for the revised version of the stimulus, giving leaders enough support to overcome a Republican filibuster. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said a vote may come on Sunday.
Republican leaders said they had not seen the specifics of the compromise but said they were concerned that the measure is still too large and that it is unlikely to jumpstart the troubled economy.
"Most of us are deeply skeptical that this will work," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said of the stimulus plan. "And that level of skepticism leads us to believe that this course of action should not be taken."
Democratic leaders said the cost of the revised stimulus bill is $780 billion, but that did not include at least two amendments that have already been approved by the Senate. One of those includes a $15,000 tax credit for home buyers that added $19 billion to the price tag.
"Americans across this country are struggling, and they are watching to see if we're equal to the task before us. Let's show them that we are. And let's do whatever it takes to keep the promise of America alive in our time," Obama said Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address.
"On the day when we learned 3.6 million people have lost their jobs since this recession began, we are pleased the process is moving forward and we are closer to getting Americans a plan to create millions of jobs and get people back to work," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Friday.
Of the reductions made to the bill, $85 billion came from spending measures and $25 billion came from rolling back proposed tax cuts, said Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. Roughly half of the spending cuts were made in education proposals, he said.
The three Republican senators who plan to support the measure are Olympia Snowe of Maine, Susan Collins of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Collins and Specter spoke in favor of the agreement on the Senate floor Friday night.
"The American people want us to work together. They don't want to see us dividing along partisan lines on the most serious crisis confronting our country," Collins said on the floor.
"Throughout our deliberations this week in the Senate, I have consistently advocated for a package that will truly stimulate this economy, not an omnibus bill bloated with frivolous spending" Snowe said in a statement. "We must be vigilant to ensure this is the right package that will address the urgency of our economic crisis and achieve credibility with the American people."
But in an indication of just how close the vote may be, Durbin said that Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts was in Washington Friday. Kennedy has not appeared in the Senate since collapsing at Obama's inauguration last month. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year.
Even if the measure is approved Sunday the legislative battle is far from over. House and Senate negotiators are expected to meet in a conference committee next week to reconcile differences between the two versions of the bill.
As new figures from the Labor Department showed that the unemployment rate had jumped to 7.6%, Obama began sharpening his rhetoric to encourage the Senate to act. He said that voters in November's election rejected "partisan posturing" and "the same tried and failed approaches."
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel appeared on Capitol Hill as senators met behind closed doors to negotiate the trims. He left shortly before the compromise measure was announced.
Earlier Friday, Obama said further delay would be "inexcusable and irresponsible" given the worst monthly jobs report in a generation — 598,000 positions lost in January and the national unemployment rate rising to 7.6%.
"I hope they share my sense of urgency and draw the same unmistakable conclusion: The situation could not be more serious," Obama said Friday. He acknowledged the plan was not perfect and pledged to work with lawmakers to refine the measure, which he called "absolutely necessary."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-07-stimulus-saturday_N.htm
<font size="5"><center>
Senate reaches tentative stimulus deal</font size><font size="4">
$110 billion trimmed from the stimulus bill
by reducing tax cuts and spending less money on education. </font size></center>
Sen. Arlen Spector, R-PA, far left, Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, Sen. Ben
Nelson, D-NE, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-CT, talk with reporters about
a deal to pass President Obama's stimulus bill at the U.S. Capitol in
Washington on Friday. By Jonathan Ernst, Reuters
USA TODAY
By John Fritze
February 6, 2009
WASHINGTON — On a day when new unemployment statistics showed that 11.6 million Americans are out of work, Senate Democratic leaders announced they had struck a compromise to advance an economic stimulus bill.
A small, bipartisan group of moderate Senators emerged from closed-door negotiations with White House officials Friday evening and said they had reached an agreement to trim $110 billion from the stimulus bill by reducing tax cuts and spending less money on education.
"In the Great Depression, the president and the Congress stood by," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. "Here, now, the U.S. Congress led by President Barack Obama is not standing idly by."
Baucus and other Democrats said that at least three Republican senators will vote for the revised version of the stimulus, giving leaders enough support to overcome a Republican filibuster. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said a vote may come on Sunday.
Republican leaders said they had not seen the specifics of the compromise but said they were concerned that the measure is still too large and that it is unlikely to jumpstart the troubled economy.
"Most of us are deeply skeptical that this will work," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said of the stimulus plan. "And that level of skepticism leads us to believe that this course of action should not be taken."
Democratic leaders said the cost of the revised stimulus bill is $780 billion, but that did not include at least two amendments that have already been approved by the Senate. One of those includes a $15,000 tax credit for home buyers that added $19 billion to the price tag.
"Americans across this country are struggling, and they are watching to see if we're equal to the task before us. Let's show them that we are. And let's do whatever it takes to keep the promise of America alive in our time," Obama said Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address.
"On the day when we learned 3.6 million people have lost their jobs since this recession began, we are pleased the process is moving forward and we are closer to getting Americans a plan to create millions of jobs and get people back to work," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Friday.
Of the reductions made to the bill, $85 billion came from spending measures and $25 billion came from rolling back proposed tax cuts, said Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. Roughly half of the spending cuts were made in education proposals, he said.
The three Republican senators who plan to support the measure are Olympia Snowe of Maine, Susan Collins of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Collins and Specter spoke in favor of the agreement on the Senate floor Friday night.
"The American people want us to work together. They don't want to see us dividing along partisan lines on the most serious crisis confronting our country," Collins said on the floor.
"Throughout our deliberations this week in the Senate, I have consistently advocated for a package that will truly stimulate this economy, not an omnibus bill bloated with frivolous spending" Snowe said in a statement. "We must be vigilant to ensure this is the right package that will address the urgency of our economic crisis and achieve credibility with the American people."
But in an indication of just how close the vote may be, Durbin said that Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts was in Washington Friday. Kennedy has not appeared in the Senate since collapsing at Obama's inauguration last month. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year.
Even if the measure is approved Sunday the legislative battle is far from over. House and Senate negotiators are expected to meet in a conference committee next week to reconcile differences between the two versions of the bill.
As new figures from the Labor Department showed that the unemployment rate had jumped to 7.6%, Obama began sharpening his rhetoric to encourage the Senate to act. He said that voters in November's election rejected "partisan posturing" and "the same tried and failed approaches."
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel appeared on Capitol Hill as senators met behind closed doors to negotiate the trims. He left shortly before the compromise measure was announced.
Earlier Friday, Obama said further delay would be "inexcusable and irresponsible" given the worst monthly jobs report in a generation — 598,000 positions lost in January and the national unemployment rate rising to 7.6%.
"I hope they share my sense of urgency and draw the same unmistakable conclusion: The situation could not be more serious," Obama said Friday. He acknowledged the plan was not perfect and pledged to work with lawmakers to refine the measure, which he called "absolutely necessary."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-07-stimulus-saturday_N.htm
Re: Stimulus bill passes House
<font size="4">
Among the 110 Billion in Cuts:</font size>
Even a scaled-down Senate package, if passed, would likely be broadly consistent with the House-passed bill, and well within the range of what Mr. Obama originally called on Congress to approve.
The new plan would still provide an array of tax cuts for individuals and business, aid to cash-strapped states and billions of dollars in new spending, as well as more jobless benefits, food aid for the poor and road and bridge construction, among other things.
If the Senate passes a plan, it would set up private House-Senate negotiations, which were expected to begin next week. Big questions loom over the Senate's more generous tax breaks, including the auto and housing incentives. And the Senate will head into negotiations with sharply lower funding on education -- a major priority of top House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123393201756256999.html
<font size="4">
Among the 110 Billion in Cuts:</font size>
- $98 million for school nutrition;
- $3.5 billion for school construction;
- $100 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
- The deal jettisons or pares back a number of items that President Barack Obama had wanted;
- Funding to computerize health records is all but gone;
- A national study on the comparative effectiveness of health treatments is all but gone;
- Mr. Obama's Make Work Pay payroll-tax holiday was clipped back;
- An expansion of the child tax credit for the working poor was also trimmed;
- At least half the funds to subsidize state education spending were eliminated; and
- Some $25 billion in trims from the $275 billion tax-relief elements in the earlier Senate package
Even a scaled-down Senate package, if passed, would likely be broadly consistent with the House-passed bill, and well within the range of what Mr. Obama originally called on Congress to approve.
The new plan would still provide an array of tax cuts for individuals and business, aid to cash-strapped states and billions of dollars in new spending, as well as more jobless benefits, food aid for the poor and road and bridge construction, among other things.
If the Senate passes a plan, it would set up private House-Senate negotiations, which were expected to begin next week. Big questions loom over the Senate's more generous tax breaks, including the auto and housing incentives. And the Senate will head into negotiations with sharply lower funding on education -- a major priority of top House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123393201756256999.html