Negotiators have finally reached a deal on a multi-billion dollar stimulus package after weeks of debate between House and Senate versions of the stimulus bill. The stimulus package, which comes in at a hefty $789 billion dollar price tag, was actually less than the previous House and Senate versions of the bill.
Senate majority leader Harry Reid credited the work of three GOP senators—the only Republicans from Congress to back the bill—for working to reach an agreement on the enormous stimulus package: Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
"Like any negotiation, this involved give and take, and if you don't mind my saying so, that's an understatement," Reid said Wednesday. President Obama had indicated earlier that he wanted the bill on his desk no later than President’s Day, which is this Monday. Voting on the bill is expected to begin as early as tomorrow.
We’d love to know what you think about what’s going on. Here are some questions to consider:
1. Do you think the $789 billion dollar stimulus package has what it takes to pull this country out of the economic crisis?
2. Are you surprised that the GOP went along with the Dems on the stimulus package?
3. Has the Republicans’ delay of Obama’s stimulus package made the GOP look disingenuous in terms of helping everyday Americans get back on their feet?
Tune into the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer as he discusses the situation tonight at 6 p.m. on MPT.
Matt Rains
Member Relations Representative
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Stimulus package: What do YOU think?
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3 comments:
1. I don't think it's enough but it's a start.
2. Am not surprised, really, because what choice do they have?!
3. I feel like the GOP looks neither better nor worse re delay and the 'everyday American' is simply keeping his or her head down and not even thinking about it ....
1. I hope so, but I'm totally skeptical. Discouraged, really. My understanding is that hundreds of billions of dollars from the first stimulus were essentially distributed without the slightest bit of oversight to exactly the sort of organizations who are RESPONSIBLE for the whole mess! It seems like it's always the big boys who benefit from this sort of thing. Why not actually directly relieve the debts of ordinary Americans, who are actually suffering in very real, very obvious ways, rather than juggernaut financial institutions who lost at their own game? Overall, the I think the system is corrupt and will eventually fail no matter how much money is thrown at it.
2. Not surprised at all. It's either that or they can look as though they're not concerned with the nation's welfare, and lose whatever base they had for a generation. I'm not saying they didn't have good reasons to oppose it, but like Nicole said, what choice do they have!?
3. I think this is a matter of perspective. Obama and the Democrats were JUST AS HESITANT to pass the first stimulus bill when Bush, Paulson, et. al. were trying to emphasize that the money was needed NOW, or All Was Lost! We're talking about spending HUGE sums of money that we DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE, that we will be paying off for DECADES, so I think taking a close, hard look at this spending package in ADVANCE is only prudent. DNC spin doctors can make it seem like the GOP's hesitance exists for the sake of being difficult and contrarian, but I don't think that's really the case, and I'm no GOP cheerleader. And, as I said before, it remains to be seen whether Stimulus II (I love that movie!) will have any appreciable impact on ordinary folks like me, Joe the Plumber or even Joe Six-Pack.
Jim Lehrer's NewsHour rocks! Can't wait.
I am not sure about the stimulus package yet. It has so many component that I have yet to see where the average American will benefit.
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