President Obama’s Stimulus Bill Clears Major Hurdles
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...President Obama’s economic stimulus package just cleared a major hurdle in the Senate when that body voted 61-36 to prepare for a final passage of the bill in the upper chamber. Assuming the Senate passes the bill tomorrow, it would then head to a conference committee where representatives from the House and Senate would hammer out differences and then pass it once more.
According to reports from New York Times:
Senate Democrats on Monday advanced the $838 billion economic stimulus bill, clearing a major procedural hurdle by a razor thin margin with the help of just three Republicans. A vote on final passage of the bill is expected on Tuesday.
The Senate vote, by 61 to 36, to close debate on the stimulus, symbolized the partisanship that still grips Congress despite President Obama’s call for new cooperation. It also highlighted the rising power of the centrist Republicans who cast the critical votes. Under Senate rules, it takes 60 votes to invoke cloture and usher a bill to a vote.
Those votes, by Senators Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, along with the 56 Democrats and two Independents who regularly vote with them, followed a succession of floor speeches by Republicans criticizing the stimulus as a bloated, wasteful spending bill.
I HOPE THAT WHEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE MEETS, THEY WILL AGREE TO PUT BACK THE MONEY THEY CUT OUT FOR THE STATES TO HELP THEM STABLIZE THEIR BUDGETS AND EDUCATION. AND THAT SENATORS COLLINS , SNOW , SPENCER WHO ARE REPUBLICANS STAY ON BOARD WHEN THE BILL INCREASES AGAIN. I HOPE THEY CUT OUT THAT 70 BILLION DOLLARS I THINK I HAD HEARD SEN. GRASSLEY REPUBLICAN PUT IN THERE AS AN ADMENDMENT. I HEARD ON LOU DOBBS IT REALLY DOESN’T DO ANYTHING TO CREATE JOBS. I HOPE THEY CUT IT OUT TO MAKE ROOM FOR STATE STABILIZATION OF 40 BILLION DOLLARS AND EDUCATION OF 40 BILLION DOLLARS.