After battling out with Republican opposition, the newly slimmed down economic stimulus bill worth up to $787 billion dollars had passed through the United States House of Representatives. There were 246 votes for and 183 votes against. So far, seven Democrats have voted against the bill. So far, it seemed that a few House Democrats have changed their minds. The seven Democrats is a slightly smaller number than the original number of Democrats that voted against the stimulus.
So far, the GOP Representatives said that there are not enough tax cuts. GOP House Leader John Boehner of Ohio said: “With a price tag of more than $1 trillion when you factor in interest, it costs every family almost $10,000 in added debt. This is an act of generational theft that our children and grandchildren will be paying far into the future.”
So far, Democrats praised the measure. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California explained that the nation will be successful by investing in new jobs, technology, science, and so forth.
Now, it will go through the United States Senate. So far, Democrats and moderate Republicans in the Senate have reached middle ground. Only a few GOP Senators joined with Democrats in the measure. However, it is all they need in order to obtain the “Magic 60.”
Recently, GOP Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire withdrew his nomination to be President Barack Obama’s second choice to fill in the post of Secretary of Commerce. Gregg cited irreconcilable differences in regards to the stimulus. Gregg said that he will vote against the bill.
Senator John McCain of Arizona, Obama’s GOP rival in the 2008 US Presidential Election also plans to vote against the bill.
It is inevitable that there will be much GOP opposition in the US Senate. So far, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada got the support of GOP Senators Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Susan Collins of Maine.
“The goal at the heart of this plan is to create jobs. Not just any jobs, but jobs doing the work America needs done: repairing our infrastructure, modernizing our schools and hospitals, and promoting the clean, alternative energy sources that will help us finally declare independent from foreign oil,” Obama said.
Obama should sign it into law very soon.
While Obama was battling it out against Republicans in Congress, Republicans outside of Congress gave their support to the stimulus. Most of the GOP Governors along with the National Governors Association gave their support to Obama’s stimulus bill. Republican Governor Charlie Crist of Florida was giving his support.
However, there are plenty of Republicans unhappy with Crist’s support. Alex Castellanos, a Republican consultant, said that Crist is not helping the party by siding with the other team.
GOP Senator Mel Martinez of Florida also gave his criticism towards Crist. “I don’t know that my governor understands all the details in this package – that there will be nothing here to help with Florida’s housing economy,” Martinez said giving his criticism.
They believe Crist is going to hurt his future with the GOP. Overall, Crist is feeling the GOP backlash.