Congress Nears Stimulus Deal
By: Mark Moseley
Updated: February 6, 2009
After days of debating there's light at the end of the tunnel in Washington. Late Friday, a deal was made over the economic stimulus package. Democrats say they have the votes with a little help from across the aisle. A handful of Republicans say they will help the Senate pass a massive stimulus package. Senators Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Arlen Specter plan to join the Democrats in voting for a 780 billion dollar plan to jump start the economy.
The new amended Senate legislation trims some 145 billion dollars off an earlier price tag, and also appears smaller than the bill that cleared the House without a single Republican vote.
The deal comes after tense backroom negotiations here on Capitol Hill. The White House Chief of Staff and Senate majority leader have been lobbying Republicans hard to get the needed 60-vote majority.
Most Republicans say the package still has too much spending that won’t stimulate the economy.
Even though he doesn’t have the degree of GOP support he’d hope for, any victory in the Senate would be a win for President Barack Obama, whose number one priority is the passage of this stimulus.
The Senate is working hard toward a final vote over the weekend.
