Sunday, February 15, 2009

Over near-unanimous Republican opposition
US Congress passes economic stimulus bill
By Patrick Martin

The US Congress voted Friday evening to approve a $787 billion economic stimulus bill sought by the Obama administration and the congressional Democratic leadership. The legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 246 to 183, with seven Democrats joining a unanimous Republican caucus to oppose the bill.

The Senate passed the bill late Friday by a margin of 60 to 38, with three Republicans joining 55 Democrats and two independents. The 60 votes was the bare minimum required to overcome a Republican filibuster. Among those voting against the bill was Republican Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, who announced the day before that he was withdrawing as Obama's nominee to be secretary of commerce.

Obama trumpeted the nomination last week as proof that he was establishing a bipartisan administration, with Gregg joining Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as Republican cabinet members. Gregg cited the stimulus bill and a conflict over policy at the Census Bureau, which is part of the Department of Commerce, as his reasons for pulling out.

Link to con.

1 comment:

Ted said...

Obama’s stealing the census from Congress has suddenly awakened and enraged the Republicans. Maybe this will arouse them as well to challenge Obama for stealing the Presidency itself. They surely know he is not an Article 2 “natural born citizen” (which is more than merely being a 14th Amendment “citizen”) by virtue of either Obama’s birth to a dad of Kenyan/British citizenship or birth in Kenya itself — as manifested by his unwillingness to supply his long form birth certificate now under seal.