economic stimulus package – News Stories About economic stimulus package - Page 18

Feb 9, 2009 5:15 PM CST

Stimulus Bill Leaps GOP Senate Hurdle

(Newser) - The economic stimulus legislation backed by President Barack Obama has passed a key test in the Senate over strong Republican opposition, the AP reports. Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, and Arlen Specter all broke ranks and supported revised legislation, making the final vote 61-36 over a procedural hurdle raised...

Obama Pushes 'Shovel Ready' Projects for Stimulus

Feb 9, 2009 2:06 PM CST

Obama Pushes 'Shovel Ready' Projects for Stimulus

$150 billion in plans ready to go across US

(Newser) - The US has 19,000 public projects ready to go, with the potential to infuse $150 billion into the economy and put thousands of people to work, NPR reports. President Obama is pushing for immediate approval of the $700 billion economic stimulus bill to start paying for the work, but...

Obama: We Can't Afford to Wait

UPDATED

Feb 9, 2009 11:24 AM CST

Obama: We Can't Afford to Wait

(Newser) - Barack Obama flew to the Heartland today to make his latest pitch for the stimulus package in perhaps the hardest-hit city in the country. Speaking in Elkhart, Ind., which boasts the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 15.3%, Obama said he intended to keep his campaign promise to put...

Blame Obama for Botched Stimulus

OPINION

Feb 9, 2009 7:27 AM CST

Blame Obama for Botched Stimulus

President's hunger for bipartisan support led to disaster: Krugman

(Newser) - Even if the Obama stimulus package had been enacted in its original $800 billion form, writes Paul Krugman, it wouldn't have plugged the hole in the American economy. Yet the "centrists" who cut it down have taken out some of its best provisions, like aid for state governments,...

Too-Speedy Bailout Spending May Squander Billions

Feb 9, 2009 4:24 AM CST

Too-Speedy Bailout Spending May Squander Billions

Auditors understaffed for behemoth task, leaving field open to shifty contractors

(Newser) - If new federal bailout funds are spent too quickly, billions could be wasted because the government administrative staff may be too overburdened to provide adequate oversight, warn budget experts. Billions of dollars in government money were squandered by private contractors who overcharged the Bush administration, according to a government report....

Geithner Delays Bank
Bailout Until Tuesday

Feb 8, 2009 4:36 PM CST

Geithner Delays Bank Bailout Until Tuesday

Treasury Department focuses on pushing stimulus through Congress

(Newser) - The Treasury Department will wait until Tuesday to unveil the next bank bailout while lawmakers and President Obama debate their multibillion-dollar stimulus plan, the New York Times reports. “With record high job losses, and weakening economic forecasts, we’re focused on working with Congress to pass an economic recovery...

Transport Sec to Fellow GOPers:
C'mon, Ride the Stimulus Train

talk show roundup

Feb 8, 2009 10:40 AM CST

Transport Sec to Fellow GOPers: C'mon, Ride the Stimulus Train

But McCain wonders where bipartisanship is

(Newser) - Talk of the economic stimulus package dominated the morning shows today, with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a Republican, promising on State of the Union that the stimulus bill won't come with any earmarks or "boondoggles," the Chicago Tribune reports. LaHood said that he had tried to get his...

Senate, Obama
Spar Over Stimulus

Feb 7, 2009 5:26 PM CST

Senate, Obama Spar Over Stimulus

(Newser) - President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans bickered today over his historically huge economic recovery plan after states and schools lost tens of billions of dollars in a late-night bargain to save it, the AP reports. "We can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely necessary," Obama...

Slimmed-Down Stimulus Bill Headed for Tuesday Vote

Feb 7, 2009 8:09 AM CST

Slimmed-Down Stimulus Bill Headed for Tuesday Vote

Senate moderates lower price tag; Obama 'pleased'

(Newser) - After hammering out a bipartisan reworking of President Obama’s stimulus package, senators began debating the measure last night, will continue today, and will likely vote on it Tuesday, CNN reports. Moderates from both parties worked on the compromise in days of private meetings, shaving down a plan that had...

Senators Give Stimulus
Plan Backroom OK

Feb 6, 2009 6:51 PM CST

Senators Give Stimulus Plan Backroom OK

(Newser) - President Barack Obama moved a step closer to his first big legislative victory today as key senators tentatively agreed on an economic stimulus measure amid stunning new signs of America's economic weakness, the AP reports. Two officials said the emerging agreement was for a bill whittled down to $780 billion,...

Senate Could Vote
on Stimulus Tonight

Feb 6, 2009 2:36 PM CST

Senate Could Vote on Stimulus Tonight

(Newser) - Harry Reid said he was confident the Senate would produce a stimulus bill ready for voting by tonight, Reuters reports. “We’ve made progress,” the majority leader said of efforts to sweat the measure down from $937 billion. “I think we’re going to be able to...

Obama:
Jobs Report
Proves We
Can't Delay

Feb 6, 2009 12:46 PM CST

Obama: Jobs Report Proves We Can't Delay

(Newser) - Barack Obama unveiled his Paul Volcker-led economic panel today and took the opportunity to make another forceful plea for his stimulus package, CBS reports. Today’s ghastly jobs report proved “the need for wise counsel and bold and immediate action,” Obama said. “It is inexcusable and irresponsible...

Americans Ask: Is Anyone in Charge?

OPINION

Feb 6, 2009 10:24 AM CST

Americans Ask: Is Anyone in Charge?

As Washington squabbles, citizens lose faith: Noonan

(Newser) - Americans are indulging in a strange disjunction between real life and the fate of the nation, Peggy Noonan writes for the Wall Street Journal: "Your long-term thoughts are pessimistic, and yet you're cheerful in the day to day." But as the recession gets worse and the threat of...

Pols Get Failing Grades
on Economic Literacy

OPINION

Feb 6, 2009 10:05 AM CST

Pols Get Failing Grades on Economic Literacy

Critics of stimulus spending reveal lack of economic literacy

(Newser) - Given all the "silly" arguments coming out of Washington these days, maybe we should pony up $50 million or so and let congressmen hire "economic trainers," writes Steven Pearlstein in the Washington Post. Those who complain that the stimulus has too much spending just don't get it....

Age of Obama? More Like the Age of Pork

OPINION

Feb 6, 2009 9:46 AM CST

Age of Obama? More Like the Age of Pork

He promised change, but stimulus is same old ugly politics

(Newser) - Charles Krauthammer thought it would take months for Barack Obama to lose his magic. Instead? “It took two and a half weeks,” he writes in the Washington Post. Obama’s promise to “banish the money changers and influence peddlers from the temple,” looked pretty hollow when...

Senators Wrangle Over Stimulus Cuts

Feb 6, 2009 3:49 AM CST

Senators Wrangle Over Stimulus Cuts

Bipartisan group works to carve plan down to size

(Newser) - A bipartisan group of some 20 senators argued late last night over cuts to the $900 billion stimulus package, and will reconvene today, reports the New York Times. Democrats and Republicans alike say they want to slash provisions that won't swiftly create jobs or boost spending—but they are struggling...

Obama Blasts GOP on Stimulus

Feb 6, 2009 1:50 AM CST

Obama Blasts GOP on Stimulus

President ditches teleprompter; comes out swinging against critics

(Newser) - Barack Obama's speech to Democratic lawmakers last night sounded more like a campaign rally than a presidential address as he ditched his teleprompter to lay into the GOP, Politico reports. The president slammed Republican criticism of spending in his stimulus plan. "What do you think a stimulus is?" he...

Obama's Op-Ed Is 'Boilerplate' but Dead On

OPINION

Feb 5, 2009 4:36 PM CST

Obama's Op-Ed Is 'Boilerplate' but Dead On

Klein: We need to move now on the stimulus package

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s Washington Post op-ed today arguing in favor of the stimulus is “a bit of a disappointment,” writes Joe Klein for Time. It’s "political boilerplate," and the president should probably stick to speeches. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that he's exactly...

Obama Is
Selling It, But
It's Not His Bill

Analysis

Feb 5, 2009 12:37 PM CST

Obama Is Selling It, But It's Not His Bill

President let Congress write stimulus, and probably regrets it

(Newser) - Barack Obama is working mightily to sell the stimulus bill, but looks have made one major mistake, Massimo Calabresi writes in Time: He let Congress write it. Obama aides let committee staffers draft the bill, relying on their legislative expertise. “They did a good job of really deferring to...

Obama Losing Media Battle Over Stimulus

Analysis

Feb 5, 2009 11:00 AM CST

Obama Losing Media Battle Over Stimulus

White House struggles with new restrictions in getting out its message

(Newser) - Barack Obama finds himself in an unfamiliar position: He’s losing a message war, Jeanne Cummings writes in Politico. Obama’s tightly controlled, tech-savvy campaign operation is still adapting to the White House’s more ponderous tool set. Republicans, meanwhile, “could practically sleep-walk through their attack plan” on the...