Miller, Centrist Coalition Senators Unveil Bipartisan Economic Stimulus Plan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) today joined with five members of the Centrist Coalition in unveiling a bipartisan plan to boost the nation's economy as quickly as possible.
Miller joined with two other Democrats and three Republicans from the Centrist Coalition in calling on the Senate leadership to consider their compromise economic stimulus plan. While the House has passed an economic stimulus plan, the Senate has yet to do so.
"Our bipartisan plan represents the middle ground of all the proposals out there, and I think that's where most Americans want us to be in this anxious time," Miller said. "It offers a good mixture of health care and unemployment benefits to help workers who have been laid off, and it also includes tax cuts that will boost investments and consumer confidence."
The Centrist Coalition group, which included Miller and Sens. John Breaux (D-LA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), George Voinovich (R-OH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), signed a letter to Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Minority Leader Trent Lott urging them to consider their plan as a compromise that could win approval in the Senate and House.
The estimated cost of the bipartisan compromise plan offered by Miller and his fellow Centrist Coalition members is $76 billion over 10 years.
The plan offers 13 extra weeks of unemployment benefits and a federal match of up to 50 percent for health insurance available to those who have been laid off.
It also offers tax rebate checks for those who didn't receive stimulus checks earlier this summer, and it speeds up some of the tax rate cuts of the Bush tax cut passed earlier this year. For businesses, it enhances some depreciation write-offs.