House Democrats, angry over some cuts made to the stimulus package, may have to get used to playing a more marginal role in negotiations on major legislation as appeasing key Senate Republicans on controversial bills remains the top priority.
The $789 billion package Congress will vote on Friday comes only after cuts to some spending programs favored by many House Democrats and the preservation of a major tax cut they wanted removed. About $20 billion for school construction and $25 billion in state aid had to come out of the bill in order for moderate Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania to sign on. Their backing took Democrats, who hold 58 seats, over the critical 60-vote threshold required to block a Republican filibuster that could have killed the bill.
