Stimulus Compromise Reached in Senate
The United States Senate has fostered a compromise which will clear the way for passage of the massive economic stimulus bill. Despite the focused and determined push by Senate Republicans to doom the legislation and hand Barack Obama a defeat in his first major test as President, their efforts were stymied by the defection of three moderate Northeast GOP Senators. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania all pledged to support a compromise version of the legislation which cut back some programs and left the final price tag of the stimulus package somewhere between $780 and $820 Billion in the Senate version of the bill.
Now the bill needs to go through the rigorous process of finding another compromise between the Senate and House of Representatives versions of the stimulus before the finalized legislation ends up on the President's desk to be signed into law. The legislative wrangling over the stimulus provides a preview of what's to come throughout at least the first two years of the Obama administration. So far, both Republicans and Democrats have stuck firmly with their party, with the GOP holding the potential to block legislation through the procedural hurdles, either filibuster or otherwise, of requiring Senate Democrats to get 60 votes to get legislation through. Democrats currently hold 56 seats in the Senate (with another pending should Al Franken win the prolonged Minnesota recount) and there are 2 Independents that caucus with the Democrats. This time around Obama and the Democrats were able to find a few Republicans to peel off to move their legislation forward. Whether they'll be able to repeat this in tough votes going forward against the obstructionist "Party of No" on the other side of the aisle remains to be seen. You can takepart in pushing for a responsible stimulus bill out of Congress that funds education and state's spending by contacting your United States Senator.
LINKS:
Voice of America: US Senators Reach Tentative Stimulus Compromise
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