Senators Wrangle Over Stimulus Cuts

Bipartisan group works to carve plan down to size

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 6, 2009 3:49 AM CST

Copied

Senators Wrangle Over Stimulus Cuts — Windows in the office of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., pierce the darkness as the Senate worked late into the night on the economic stimulus legislation yesterday. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)

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 to reach agreement on which provisions fail the test.

Democratic leaders still hope to get broad bipartisan support for the bill, but have signaled they will try to muscle it through with only a few Republican votes if the group doesn't make a deal today. "If they think they're going to rewrite this bill and Barack Obama is going to walk away from what he is trying to do for the American people, they've got another thought coming," warned Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
(More Senate stories.)

Report an error