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Senate Stimulus Battle Tests Bipartisan Resolve
By Joe Murray, The Bulletin
With Senate Republicans rolling out their own $719 billion stimulus package to counter the stimulus backed by Barack Obama and Senate Democrats, it is clear the Senate debate on the stimulus stands to test both parties commitments to bipartisanship.
The key sticking point among Republicans and conservative Democrats is what they see as the wasteful nature of the stimulus. It topped $819 billion in the House version and stands at $888 billion in the Senate version — including $400 million to HIV/STD studies and $75 million to anti-smoking programs.
Such programs became a rallying cry for Republicans seeking to prevent the massive stimulus bill from becoming a Democratic spending bill.
“We all agree that something must be done to jumpstart the economy, and this week we’ll have the opportunity to debate ideas to dramatically improve the bill passed by the House,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said. “We agree with President Obama that we should trim things out that don’t put people back to work.”
Over the weekend, Mr. McConnell told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” he could not believe Mr. Obama “isn’t embarrassed about the products that have been produced so far.”
Hoping to mitigate critics, Democrats announced yesterday that the anti-smoking and HIV/STD programs were cut from the Democratic bill. But lawmakers, Democrats included, balked at the minor concessions made by Senate Democrats and publicly renounced Mr. Obama’s claim that only ‘“modest differences’“ separated the two parties.
“‘It’s more money than that,’” U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said in response to White House claims that difference in opinion centers on just $700 million worth of spending. ‘“We’re talking in the billions, and tens of billions, that we’re looking to exclude from this particular program.’“
Wisconsin Democrat U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold also questioned the scope of the bill, arguing even though some programs are worthy causes, it does not make them suitable for an economic stimulus bill.
‘“Any amendments or provisions that would add to our deficit need to stimulate the economy; otherwise, they should be paid for,’” Mr. Feingold said in a statement.
Senate Democrats attempted to defuse debate on the bill by arguing there was no time to get mired down in evaluating spending on individual programs because the economic crisis is too great a threat to the stability of the nation.
‘“We must act boldly, decisively and with all possible speed, or we will face dire consequences,’” U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said on the Senate floor Monday. ‘“This is a significant amount of money, but an amount that we believe is wholly necessary to confront the challenges facing our nation.’“
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., countered his Democratic colleagues by crafting a Republican stimulus that eliminates the pork projects added by Democrats and focuses on tax cuts and infrastructure. Under the Republican plan, first reported by CNN, $430 billion would be geared towards tax cuts, $114 billion for infrastructure projects, $138 billion allotted for increasing unemployment/food stamp benefits and $31 billion to address the housing crisis.
The passage of the Democratic stimulus, once deemed inevitable, has started becoming questionable as a bipartisan coalition is forming in opposition and the public sours to the plan.
According to a Rasmussen Reports poll, a majority of Americans, 53 percent, believe tax cuts are a better method of stimulating the economy, while only 23 percent feel the same way about increased government spending. Furthermore, a similar poll showed only 42 percent of Americans believe Mr. Obama is governing in a bipartisan fashion.
The Senate will continue to debate the stimulus bill as Democrats push for an early vote on the bill.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
The key sticking point among Republicans and conservative Democrats is what they see as the wasteful nature of the stimulus. It topped $819 billion in the House version and stands at $888 billion in the Senate version — including $400 million to HIV/STD studies and $75 million to anti-smoking programs.
Such programs became a rallying cry for Republicans seeking to prevent the massive stimulus bill from becoming a Democratic spending bill.
“We all agree that something must be done to jumpstart the economy, and this week we’ll have the opportunity to debate ideas to dramatically improve the bill passed by the House,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said. “We agree with President Obama that we should trim things out that don’t put people back to work.”
Over the weekend, Mr. McConnell told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” he could not believe Mr. Obama “isn’t embarrassed about the products that have been produced so far.”
Hoping to mitigate critics, Democrats announced yesterday that the anti-smoking and HIV/STD programs were cut from the Democratic bill. But lawmakers, Democrats included, balked at the minor concessions made by Senate Democrats and publicly renounced Mr. Obama’s claim that only ‘“modest differences’“ separated the two parties.
“‘It’s more money than that,’” U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said in response to White House claims that difference in opinion centers on just $700 million worth of spending. ‘“We’re talking in the billions, and tens of billions, that we’re looking to exclude from this particular program.’“
Wisconsin Democrat U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold also questioned the scope of the bill, arguing even though some programs are worthy causes, it does not make them suitable for an economic stimulus bill.
‘“Any amendments or provisions that would add to our deficit need to stimulate the economy; otherwise, they should be paid for,’” Mr. Feingold said in a statement.
Senate Democrats attempted to defuse debate on the bill by arguing there was no time to get mired down in evaluating spending on individual programs because the economic crisis is too great a threat to the stability of the nation.
‘“We must act boldly, decisively and with all possible speed, or we will face dire consequences,’” U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said on the Senate floor Monday. ‘“This is a significant amount of money, but an amount that we believe is wholly necessary to confront the challenges facing our nation.’“
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., countered his Democratic colleagues by crafting a Republican stimulus that eliminates the pork projects added by Democrats and focuses on tax cuts and infrastructure. Under the Republican plan, first reported by CNN, $430 billion would be geared towards tax cuts, $114 billion for infrastructure projects, $138 billion allotted for increasing unemployment/food stamp benefits and $31 billion to address the housing crisis.
The passage of the Democratic stimulus, once deemed inevitable, has started becoming questionable as a bipartisan coalition is forming in opposition and the public sours to the plan.
According to a Rasmussen Reports poll, a majority of Americans, 53 percent, believe tax cuts are a better method of stimulating the economy, while only 23 percent feel the same way about increased government spending. Furthermore, a similar poll showed only 42 percent of Americans believe Mr. Obama is governing in a bipartisan fashion.
The Senate will continue to debate the stimulus bill as Democrats push for an early vote on the bill.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
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