The Senate approved an $838 billion economic recovery package bill Tuesday, as Democrats held on to the few Republican supporters who helped hammer out a compromise measure last week.
The bill passed by a vote of 61-37. Sixty votes were needed.
But the work has only just begun for congressional leaders in the House and Senate, who now must reconcile the differences between their two versions of the bill during what’s known as a conference committee.
Those negotiations could drive up the price tag of the bill as each chamber fights for its priorities. The House version of the bill is $819 billion.
The talks could also last through next week, potentially passing President Obama’s Feb. 16 deadline.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., minced no words when discussing the possibility of debate on the stimulus package bleeding into late next week.
“Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and maybe Wednesday and Thursday next week may be needed to pass (the stimulus bill),” Hoyer said.
The package is a blend of spending, tax cuts and incentives that both the administration and Democrats in Congress hope will create jobs and stimulate the economy. But most Republican lawmakers oppose it, saying that while government action may be necessary the plan as crafted is too bloated with wasteful spending.
The House and Senate are expected to be out of session next week for the President’s Day recess. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said weeks ago that the recess could be in jeopardy if lawmakers hadn’t finished work on the stimulus measure.
Hoyer’s statement indicated the potential challenges facing House and Senate negotiators as they try to bridge differences and create a single, unified measure to send to Obama.
One concern is that altering the Senate bill could risk the support of the three key Republican senators: Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter.
Specter has suggested that the House approve something very close to the Senate version of the bill. That assertion didn’t sit well with Hoyer.
“I’m shocked that any senator would say ‘that’s the bill we passed, take it or leave it,'” Hoyer said.
No Republicans supported the House version of the package two weeks ago. Hoyer is mindful that too much House meddling could torpedo the entire package.
(Source: Fox News)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
12 Responses
you mean we are going to get some “change” out of this (as in “brother, can you spare a dime” – though by now I’ld hope for at least fake-gold dollar if not an American Eagle).
A trillion here, and a trillion there…and pretty soon, you’re talking real money!
Welcome to the USSA – the United Socialist States of America!
Those 3 repubics should be thrown out of the Republican party. But if the Democrat party picks them up it may be counter-productive. What’s the lesser of the 2 weevils, having those liberal minded Senators with an R next to their name, or (potentially) losing 3 seats to the Democrats? choices…choices….;
i cant wait to buy a new minivan im soooo excited. soon i wont need to payy a full mortagage payment to the corrupt bank
Which Republicans voted to support the bill?
“The bill passed by a vote of 61-37. Sixty votes were needed”
huh? don’t they need 51 to get it passed?
#3 – “socialism” requires the government to run the companies and control the means of production.
“capitalism” requires private companies to operate independent of the government, keep profits when they pull it off, and suffer losses when they don’t
Our system is based on the idea that those with connections get to keep huge profits if they have a good year, and get to unload the losses on the taxpayers if they mess up.
Thus we have neither “socialism” not “capitalism”, but merely “na’rishkeit” on a very big scale, and lots and lots of zeros but no decimal point.
I am sure Karl Marx is happy
it is not just for a filibuster that 60 are needed. By senate protocol, anything adding to national debt needs 60 if one Senator requests it. As a practical matter, almost everything in the Senate needs 60.
#10,charliehall: Who will it help? Will the government start buying ME homes and cars?! Do you realize that if you were to spend $1,000,000.00 every single day for the past 2000 years (since churbn bais shaini) you still would not get to 800,000,000,000.00. It’s WAY too much and all that is going to happen is that it will DESTROY the value of the dollar. Obama knows that this is a stupid bill and that’s why he is playing scare tactics, to force it down our backs while every STUPID projects (such as jet ski repair) milks billions on the guy? Why is he doing it? Not to save the economy, but he knows that the more people who get $$$ now will vote for his reelection, may G-D help us all!!. This is obvious! Even the stock markets plunges on such figures.
There are some very dangerous parts to this bill. Especially those dealing with limiting medical coverage for senior citizens by denying some seniors the opportunity to get certain medicines and obtain certain life saving procedures because of their age. Write your Congressman and Senators and urge them to take this provision out of the bill!