Amended Stimulus Plan Hits House Today

Bipartisan consensus thought unlikely despite Obama efforts to woo GOP
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 28, 2009 4:09 AM CST
Amended Stimulus Plan Hits House Today
The Capitol is illuminated as snow and sleet arrive in Washington yesterday. The House is considering President Obama's modified economic stimulus package today.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan hits the House floor today after tweaks aimed at assuaging conservatives on both sides of the aisle, Politico reports. Many critics remained wary of the package, but some—including the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee—appeared swayed by Obama's argument that the plan is merely "one leg in a multi-legged stool."

The Senate Finance panel made the biggest change to the plan, adding $70 billion to insulate mostly upper-middle-income taxpayers from the alternative minimum tax. Fiscally conservative Dems slashed $200 million to fix up the National Mall, and a controversial provision boosting Medicaid spending on contraceptives is also gone. The bill is expected to pass the House, but without the strong bipartisan consensus Obama had hoped for.
(More President Obama stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X