Posted on 02/04/2009 10:28:40 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Democrats on Wednesday sought to revise their $900 billion economic stimulus plan to drum up enough Republican support so they can send it to President Barack Obama next week to sign into law.
The Democratic-led Senate entered a third day of debate on the package, which Obama wants on his desk by February 16, in a bid to reverse the downward spiral of the U.S. economy, which has been in recession since December 2007.
Democrats need at least two Republican votes to clear possible procedural hurdles and Obama wants healthy bipartisan support for the package after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed its own stimulus plan last week with no Republican support.
"We hope that as the debate continues, people will only offer those amendments they think will really help the bill," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said late on Tuesday.
"With a little bit of luck we might be able to finish this bill" this week, the Nevada Democrat said.
That may not be so easy as Republicans are pushing to trim the spending portion and boost tax cuts and incentives, floating several alternatives.
The bill started in the Senate at about $885 billion but senators on Tuesday added $11 billion to it by making interest payments on new car purchases tax deductible, an attempt to spur sales amid record auto losses.
They also added an additional $6.5 billion for medical research, but cut $246 million in tax credits for the movie industry.
Republicans have complained that the legislation does not address the housing crisis sufficiently and spends money on programs that would not boost the economy. They have floated some alternatives but have yet to offer amendments on the Senate floor.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
They need to address mortgage interest rates if they want any RINO’s to move over.
We need to keep record on the spineless PUBS for who will be the first to succumb to the Wiley Coyote urgings of the RATS & Obozo because there surely will be some.
That dog don’t hunt!
Looks like no one wants their fingerprints on that.
Toll free capital switchboard numbers are:
800-965-4701
800-828-0498
FReep them!
Hopefully, five or less.
Translation: the RINOs political reelection instinct smells democrat party electoral blood in the water.
Just like Obama’s 500k fakery. (CNBC of all obama worship channels was absolutly ridiculing the idea this am) You get what you pay for.
?
What? Is Lindsey Graham is siding with the Republicans?
.
I can’t believe Virginians aren’t hounding Jim Webb and Mark Warner over this outrageously irresponsible spending spree. Are there any real men in Virginia who will take on these scoundrels? Is Jim Webb a communist, too? Warner has always been a Third Way type politician, but this “stimulus” package is communism.
how many toxic mortgages could they just buy outright?
instead of funneling the money though the toxic government just paying off the houses with this money would do far more for the ecconomy.
This isn’t a stimulus bill. It’s uncontrolled spending targeted at democrat campaign contributors and voters.
Any republican who votes for it is making a contribution to his next opponent.
Bottom line: Conservatives consider liberals well-intentioned, but misguided. Liberals consider conservatives not only wrong, but really, really bad people.
Larry Elder
I cannot understand the justifications for this boondoggle. Govt bailouts and cash prizes to everyone with any influence to peddle: this is supposed to save a troubled economy!
It’s like trying to help a swimmer being pulled out to sea by a strong undertow, by attaching a sinkstone. He just drowns nearer to the safety of land, and much sooner.
The WSJ had an article on what sort of projects were proposed for the “shovel ready”, make work program. There were golf courses and club houses, a frisbee course in Austin, Harleys for Shreveport, several dog parks, complete with water features, oh and one city wants a waterpark, complete with slides. Oh, sure, there are lots of road and sewer projects, but for the most part, this is just a Democrat Christmas list, or should that be Kwaanza?
What no one has mentioned is that the jobs created by these projects are not much better than slave jobs. This time, the government is the master.
She votes Dem more than Repub most of the time:-(
Yeah. Good luck with that.
The remaining Congressional 'Pubbies aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, but they are slowly getting the picture and returning, at least for the moment, to their core conservative principles. It remains to be seen if this is a trend.
Those ‘Rats need to go to Helen Hunt.
I hope they get the tax credit for first time home buyers even bigger than the existing $7500. The 7.5K is nice, and we will buy because of it, but 10 or 15K would be even BETTER. We are a two-income-no-kids household that has been paying through our noses for 30 years. Time for us to belly up to the trough.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.