Politics
Bait and switch on the stimulus
By: Julie Mason
Examiner White House Correspondent
January 28, 2009
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With the Senate poised to consider his $825 billion economic program, President Obama on Wednesday acknowledged skepticism about the plan and promised greater government accountability on how the money is spent.
“Instead of just throwing money at our problems, we’ll try something new in Washington — we’ll invest in what works,” Obama said at the White House. “Instead of politicians doling out money behind a veil of secrecy, decisions about where we invest will be made public and informed by independent experts whenever possible.”
In the week since he took office, Obama’s ambitions for a bipartisan economic stimulus bill free of controversy have been largely upended by the Washington culture of special interests and political ambitions.
In Congress, sidelined Republicans gained unexpected traction in their opposition to the plan, scoring a few concessions from Democrats as the bill made its way through the process.
“We’re for more than just cutting taxes,” House Republican leader Rep. John Boehner said. “What we’re concerned about, some of the spending in this bill has nothing to do with creating jobs or preserving jobs. The bill on the floor today is a bill that has too much spending, too much wasteful spending and buries our kids and grandkids under a mountain of debt.”
The bill includes $550 billion in spending and $275 billion in tax cuts — both of which could change before final passage.
The package would provide funding for education, health benefits for the unemployed, help for needy families, expand broadband Internet access to rural areas and increase money for food stamps. It also includes temporary tax cuts for workers and creates tax incentives and credits for renewable energy investment, among many other items.
Some of its more controversial provisions include funding for Amtrak, the National Endowment for the Arts, global warming research, digital television conversion assistance and new cars for the federal government.
Obama asked House Democrats to remove an item in the stimulus bill that would have allocated money for contraception through Medicaid. Democrats also excised a provision that would have directed $200 million for repairs on the National Mall. Both items had become rallying points for opposition to the plan.
On the flip side, the Senate Finance Committee added to the stimulus package a one-year, $70 billion patch to the alternative minimum tax, an item not supported by the Obama administration.
Obama’s quest for bipartisan support is giving Republicans unlikely leverage in the process, given their diminished numbers in Congress. It’s also forcing Democrats to compromise and mollify, despite their majority.
For its part, the White House has warned Republicans they don’t want to be on the wrong side of the vote, given polls showing a strong majority of Americans support Obama and want the stimulus spending.
Asked whether he was confident of Republican support for the bill, Obama replied, “I’m confident we’re going to get it passed.”
Obama may be able to sign the bill as he hoped: by Presidents Day. But the new administration may have to stomach a largely party-line vote for the stimulus plan — a bitter pill after Obama campaigned hard on a unity theme.
The president announced the creation of a new Web site, recovery.com, that will allow Internet users to track spending in the bill after it passes.
“I know that some are skeptical about the size and scale of this recovery plan,” Obama said. “I understand that skepticism, which is why this recovery plan will include unprecedented measures that will allow the American people to hold my administration accountable.”
jmason@dcexaminer.com
