by Mark Silva
With the first approval of a disputed $787-billion stimulus that President Barack Obama is demanding from Congress in hope of reviving a stalled economy, the House today voted 246-183, divided largely along party lines, for a plan expected to clear the Senate as soon as this evening.
"This legislation can be summed up in one word - jobs,'' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said at the close of a House debate which showcased a continuing fissure between Democrats in control of the House and Republicans opposed to the massive government spending that is the core of the stimulus bill. "I never thought I'd see the day when we had an opportunity to do so much... so great... for the American people.''
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) complained: "The bill that was supposed to be about jobs, jobs, jobs, has turned into a bill that is all about spending, spending, spending.''
With the president maintaining that more than 3 million jobs can be created or saved with the plan, the overwhelming majority of Republicans who oppose it complain that it places unrestrained spending, and debt, ahead of tax relief that could offer more help.
"The historic scope of this bill is matched by an unprecedented transparency... so the American people can see how each dollar is invested,'' Pelosi said. "It is in sharp contrast to the do-nothing approach that some want us to take here.''
"When you look at some of the spending in this bill, it will do nothing about creating jobs,'' Boehner said. "I hope this bill works, I really do, for the good of our country. But my concern is that the plan as outlined will not do what we want it to do.''
The Senate today was debating the same compromise hammered out between Senate and House Democratic leaders with the support of a few Senate Republicans, with leaders holding out hope for a vote tonight. Obama was expected to sign it quickly.
In a House sharply divided by this debate, only seven Democrats opposed the measure and no Republicans supported it.
The measure, in somewhat larger form, had cleared the House in its first version without a single Republican vote. The Senate had approved its first take on the plan with the help of just three Republicans - yet still some Republicans were complaining that the package should not be painted with a bipartisan veneer.
"In the Senate, Republicans were consulted, that's a very positive thing, but we were never invited to the negotiating table,'' said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). "When Republicans offered ideas, they were generally rejected. There were few exceptions.''
"This bill was written by the speaker of the House,'' said Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) accusing Pelosi of ramming "an ill-conceived, wrong-headed... spending spree'' through the chamber without any input from the GOP. "The principles of democracy are being compromised here, today, now. The American people deserve better... Our founding fathers deserved better.''
The debate today did not pass without some rancor. A Republican accused leaders of inserting money for "a rat'' in San Francisco - funding for an environmentally sensitive area -- drawing an angered response from Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who held the telephone-book-thick bill aloft and challenged the debater: "It's not in there... show it to me... show it to me...
"This country faces the greatest crisis we've seen, in terms of our economy, since the '30s,'' Obey told the House. The housing market has collapsed, the automotive industry is in trouble and federal interest rates have been pushed as low as they can go, he said. "The only bullet left is fiscal policy, so what we are trying to do with this bill is save and create several million jobs.''
"Guess what - this bill isn't perfect,'' Obey said. "The worst thing people can do in this town is to believe their own baloney... Supporters of this bill are inclined to overstate its possibilities... and opponents are inclined to trash it.''
The 1,071-page measure was posted on a congressional Web-site Thursday night, allowing lawmakers just a few overnight hours to read it before debate on the House and Senate floors today.
"Not one member has read this,'' Boehner complained.
The stimulus plan, carrying a price-tag of $787 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office, includes $281 billion in tax cuts, $308 billion in spending funded by the appropriations committees and $198 billion in spending for programs such as unemployment assistance, Social Security benefits and added money for states to help with Medicaid for low-income and disabled Americans.
Republicans have fought for more tax relief and less spending, but, Boehner complained, "all the talk we've heard about bipartisanship... has gone down the drain.''
Comments
So much for that 48 hours of review. I hope Nancy's plane gets to Rome okay. I'm sure Obey made sure that his lobbyist son gets his cut.
Posted by: Jeff | February 13, 2009 2:38 PM
Look at how many people were put to work for 787billion by the republicans....too bad they were Iraqis.
Posted by: bill r. | February 13, 2009 2:56 PM
Unbelievable! The Republicans sure supported the $700 billion that went to their banker pals, but they don't want to spend a dime on US infrastructure. The money they approved went down the drain, while this bill will build things that our grandkids will still be using. I suspect their objection has more to do with the fact that none of this money will flow back into their campaign coffers!
Posted by: mark | February 13, 2009 3:02 PM
A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
• From bondage to spiritual faith;
• From spiritual faith to great courage;
• From courage to liberty;
• From liberty to abundance;
• From abundance to complacency;
• From complacency to apathy;
• From apathy to dependence;
• From dependence back into bondage.
This was written over 200 years ago. Obama: hope, change, dependance, and bondage.
Posted by: Greg | February 13, 2009 3:08 PM
Boehner and the rest of the Republican jerks can shut the 'F' up. They have no credibility and they are proven failures at governance.
Posted by: Tim | February 13, 2009 3:16 PM
Where was Boehner and the rest of the fiscally conservative Pugs when Bush used deficit spending in Iraq for almost 7 years?
Posted by: Vivian | February 13, 2009 3:20 PM
Porkapalooza, Trillios spent and now the "Annoying One" says it will create and "save" jobs. That's doublespeak for we know it won't work and we are laying down our mattress.
Posted by: Den C | February 13, 2009 3:21 PM
More whiny Republican crying. The sun tanned John Boehner (R- OH), tells us the stimulus is all spend, spend, spend, then he says he hasn't read the document.If you asked me, Boehner hasn't done his job. I would also question his honesty and patriotism. Instead of spending $10,000,000,000.00 per month of U.S. taxpayer money on/ in Iraq, lets spend that money on jobs and infrastructure in this country. Let the illegitimate and dysfunctional Iraqi's deal with their own country and issues for themselves.
And Jeff, I'm sure Mr. Cheney will be getting a nice cut from Haliburton and Bechtel Corp.
Posted by: Doug R. | February 13, 2009 3:26 PM
The govt just charged me & the family $15K in bailouts over the last 6 months but they are going to give us $800 for our troubles. This is fabulous! With that whooping $26/wk I can take the wife & kid to Old Country Buffet for lunch.
Posted by: Nate | February 13, 2009 3:30 PM
The most annoying part of all of this is that when it came time to give money to banks, there was hardly any discussions at all - it needed to be done. Yet when the house and senate have a bill that will help the average person, there has to be debate and both sides bicker. Shouldn't the citizens of the US be who the politicians work for?
Posted by: Brian, Chicago | February 13, 2009 3:32 PM
I would like to be the first to congratulate Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid for the $787,000,000,000 tax increase on my children, grandchildren and all other future generations.
What will our children/grandchildren have to show for their money that we spent? Likely not much.
Posted by: Ryan | February 13, 2009 4:11 PM
Great. Now get us out of Iraq so we can pay for it.
(Can you hear the Repubs howling if pallet of cash were taken and 'lost' in our own poor neighborhoods?)
Posted by: DD | February 13, 2009 4:31 PM
Welcome tot he USSA.
Posted by: DTL | February 13, 2009 4:41 PM
Welcome to the USSA.
Posted by: DTL | February 13, 2009 4:42 PM
Nate: get over it. You act like you're paying it out of your pocket.
Greg: Seriously man. Get a grip.
People, go to www.stimuluswatch.org and search in YOUR area. You'd be surprised at how good and decent the so-called pork projects are. It's what your taxes are SUPPOSED to pay for.
Stop the whining people, stuff's getting done and the world is not going to end.
Posted by: Joe | February 13, 2009 4:43 PM
For those of you that support this stimulus package, after all is said and done you will not recognize the America that your parents grew up in. Its all down hill after this. President Obama your lack of leadership has condemned America to second class status. Enjoy your term as President because its going to be short lived.
Posted by: Paul | February 13, 2009 5:21 PM
OINK OINK OINK This PORK bill is going to squander your money on a high-speed train from Disneyland in California to Las Vegas Nv so Sen. Reid's buddies get their political pay-back. Illegal Aliens will continue to take jobs Americans are fired from since the E-Verify provision was eliminated in the conference bill to pay back criminal employers of Illegal Aliens. Your health care now will be dictated by a D.C "Tsar" It appears there is about 2/3rds PORK in the bill, but since NO ONE HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO READ IT let alone understand the major points there is likely to be even more PORK than first detected. It is for sure the only jobs to be created are going to be in an additionally bloated bureaucracy in D.C. The stampede to vote on this PIG IN A POKE bill is so that no one gets a handle on what it really is prior to a vote meaning the fools in D.C. will vote for it 'cause they'll go along to get along. What a bunch of phonies, fools, and anti-Americans they are. Call and or email your Senators right now to express your outrage at this swindle, this theft of the American dream.
Posted by: Tucano Fulano | February 13, 2009 5:25 PM
OINK OINK OINK This PORK bill is going to squander your money on a high-speed train from Disneyland in California to Las Vegas Nv so Sen. Reid's buddies get their political pay-back. Illegal Aliens will continue to take jobs Americans are fired from since the E-Verify provision was eliminated in the conference bill to pay back criminal employers of Illegal Aliens. Your health care now will be dictated by a D.C "Tsar" It appears there is about 2/3rds PORK in the bill, but since NO ONE HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO READ IT let alone understand the major points there is likely to be even more PORK than first detected. It is for sure the only jobs to be created are going to be in an additionally bloated bureaucracy in D.C. The stampede to vote on this PIG IN A POKE bill is so that no one gets a handle on what it really is prior to a vote meaning the fools in D.C. will vote for it 'cause they'll go along to get along. What a bunch of phonies, fools, and anti-Americans they are. Call and or email your Senators right now to express your outrage at this swindle, this theft of the American dream.
Posted by: Tucano Fulano | February 13, 2009 5:26 PM
Doug R:
"Repbublican crying?"?? Are you kidding me???!!!
A trillion dollar plan passes within a few hours with NO discussion and without a SINGLE member of the house having had time to even read the freaking bill, and its "whining" to complain. That is moronic liberal garbage.
This deserves at least time to be scrutinized for all of the ramifications.
Did you know, for example, that this bill sneaks in MASSIVE changes to the health care system that will handcuff doctors into practicing "cookbook" medicine based on government outlined measures rather than individual patients? No, most people didn't. Medicine will now be practiced by bureaucrats with NO medical training, not physicians with 13+ years of intense training. You wanted socialized medicine?.... you got it.
In that 1000 + pages, I'm sure there's plenty more socialist agenda insultingly labelled as "economic stimulus". Congrats to Obama-losi for ramrodding this down our throats before any of us can digest it, and for dumbing us all down by labelling this as "stimulus".
You dems should be ashamed of yourselves. Why are you so afraid to simply allow true DEMOCRACY to occur and alllow time to scrutinize and debate this, instead choosing to socialize America overnight?
Democracy RIP!
Posted by: jay | February 13, 2009 5:28 PM
Amidst the greatest economic crisis in over a generation, the Republicans are putting party before country. Given that they have never proposed any alternative plans to the one presented by the president, the GOP opposing this bill purely for political reasons. What a shame.
Posted by: Enrique | February 13, 2009 5:32 PM
"Nate: get over it. You act like you're paying it out of your pocket.
Greg: Seriously man. Get a grip.
People, go to www.stimuluswatch.org and search in YOUR area. You'd be surprised at how good and decent the so-called pork projects are. It's what your taxes are SUPPOSED to pay for.
Stop the whining people, stuff's getting done and the world is not going to end."
Actually Joe, part of the problem for me is that these are not my tax dollars. You see, the government is about spend a huge pile of money that doesn't exist yet. Then they are going to provide tax credits which means that they are going to restrict the revenue stream they need to actually raise the money they are spending.
You seem to forget that the government's income primarily comes from taxation. They can only sell so much debt before the "magic" money runs out or becomes monopoly money. The Republicans wanted to see spending cut off at the knees and then tax cuts to provide immediate relief.
Under this plan, the US taxpayer doesn't see any actual relief until the Winter of 2010. That doesn't help me now.
Posted by: Tom | February 13, 2009 5:45 PM
" Given that they have never proposed any alternative plans to the one presented by the president, the GOP opposing this bill purely for political reasons. What a shame. "
?!?!?
The GOP didn't propose an alternative because they weren't included in the discussions.
Pelosi kept them out.
They weren't allowed to post amendments, at all.
So much for the post-partisan president.
But .. it'll be interesting to watch Caterpillar start doing that huge amount of hiring Obama said would occur if the bill passed.
This is a sad day for this country.
Posted by: Pete | February 13, 2009 6:31 PM
Enrique - you may want to actually think... I know that the Dems don't want you to, but it really is good exercise for your brain. The Republicans did offer an alternative bill - one that cost LESS than 50% as much and would create MORE jobs.
I'm sure you & your ilk will wonder who validated the above - but it's none other than Obama's Economic Council. Must be further Neo-Con evil, huh?
Posted by: O-Bummer | February 13, 2009 7:09 PM
For those of you that support this stimulus package, after all is said and done you will not recognize the America that your parents grew up in. Posted by: Paul | February 13, 2009 5:21 PM
--------------------------------------------------------
My parents grew up during the Depression, when millions of Americans were out of work, everyone was worried about where the next keal was coming from, almost everyone was just barely keeping their homes or losing them, and people lined the streets looking for work, food, or shelter. They (and I) recognize today's America perfectly, and would tell you boosh and the repiglicans were to blame. And they and I definitely believe that the best way to bring America back is to spend money rebuilding America and putting Americans to work.
Posted by: I heart Schadenfreude | February 13, 2009 7:10 PM
I'm not sure if the package makes sense. Economies go through cycles and recession is part of the cycle. I read the history of cycles at
http://www.recessioninfocenter.com
Posted by: Jeff | February 13, 2009 7:34 PM
It is so nice to see how this President has united this country. These post show just how much of a uniter he really has proven to be. As to this so called stimulus, would you buy a car without driving it first? Or a house without inspecting first? Sign a contract without reading it first? Anyone supporting this stimulus package is doing just that! This is the same as borrowing more money from one credit card to make payment on another. The future of this country is being mortgaged to the hilt, and heaven help us if anyone calls in our debt.
Posted by: Michiel W | February 13, 2009 8:58 PM
" the principles of democracy are being challenged here" This coming from a republicans mouth after 8yrs. of Bush. What a bunch of b***s**t!
Posted by: Thomasburns | February 14, 2009 5:56 AM