"Senate leaders split on stimulus; Republicans say overhaul needed" by Douglass K. Daniel, Associated Press | February 2, 2009
WASHINGTON - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday the massive stimulus bill backed by President Obama and congressional Democrats could go down to defeat if it's not stripped of unnecessary spending and focused more on housing issues and tax cuts.
The Senate version of the bill, which topped out at nearly $900 billion, is headed to the floor for debate. The House bill totaled about $819 billion and earned no Republican votes, though it easily passed the Democratic-controlled House. At some point lawmakers will have to compromise on the competing versions.
McConnell and other Republicans suggested that the bill needed an overhaul because it doesn't pump enough into the private sector through tax cuts and allows Democrats to go on a spending spree unlikely to jolt the economy....
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Obama also told NBC's Matt Lauer during a live pre-Super Bowl interview that his administration would announce plans to spend the second $350 billion round of the bank bailout after Congress deals with the separate stimulus plan....
Under Obama's plan, strained state budgets would receive a cash infusion, projects for roads and other infrastructure would be funded, and "green jobs" in the energy sector would be created. In its centerpiece tax cut, single workers would gain $500 and couples $1,000, even if they don't earn enough to owe federal income taxes.
Among the major changes Kyl said would be needed to gain Republican support in the Senate was the tax rebate for individuals and couples, which he criticized as going to too many people who didn't pay the tax to start with. He also criticized the bill for seeking to create nearly three dozen government programs and giving states far more money than they need.....
Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said on ABC's "This Week" that the bill was designed to help people who have been damaged in the economic meltdown as well as stimulate the economy.
"I never saw a tax cut fix a bridge. I never saw a tax cut give us more public transportation."
Oh, he's so glib!! And I NEVER SAW a TAX INCREASE that wasn't tossed away to some corporation, war-profiteer, or bank!!!!
On another matter, Frank said Obama will require banks receiving government funds under the $700 billion financial bailout bill to increase their lending to businesses and consumers.
I'm so sick of that lie being repeated and repeated!
Related: U.S. Banks Driving Credit Crunch ON PURPOSE!!
Bush Administration Created Credit Crunch Crisis
"I think you're going to see the Obama administration, having learned from that, push for much more lending," Frank said. "There are going to be some real rules in there."
Then why did you tell us there were rules when you first passed it?
Why did you check-kiters lie to us, Barn?
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"Deal reached on $780b stimulus; Maine Republicans key to Senate compromise" by Sasha Issenberg and Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff | February 7, 2009
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats emerged yesterday evening from days of negotiations to declare that they had reached a deal with at least three moderate Republicans and now have the votes to approve their own pared down version of the economic stimulus package that passed the House last week....
Those involved in negotiations said the deal on what they billed as a $780 billion package - approximately $40 billion less than the House approved and nearly $160 billion less than an earlier Senate draft - came about after a working group of centrists agreed to reduce both spending programs favored by Democrats and tax cuts pushed by Republicans. The final Senate bill will probably be around $800 billion, members of both parties said....
The negotiations leading to the breakthrough were led by Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who shuttled for days between committee rooms in Senate office buildings and unmarked hideaway offices deep in the Capitol....
So ONCE AGAIN legislation was done IN SECRET and AWAY from the people!!!
This is DEMOCRACY?
"The American people don't want to see partisan gridlock," Collins said on the Senate floor. "They don't want to see us divided and fighting. They want to see us working together to solve the most important crisis facing this country."
Yeah, well, we wanted OUT of IRAQ and we've seen how you "work together" on other issues like spying immunity, the suppression of torture, and fealty towards Israel.
So do us all a favor and DO NOTHING, please!
There they go again: doing things we don't want again!
