Obama Plans Bipartisan Meeting on Economic Stimulus
By Seth Stern, CQ Staff
President-elect Barack Obama is scheduled to meet Jan. 5 with congressional leaders from both parties to discuss the upcoming economic stimulus package.
Leadership aides said Friday the meeting is expected to include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif.; House Minority Leader John A. Boehner , R-Ohio; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. It is scheduled for Monday afternoon in Pelosi’s office, according to one Democratic leadership aide.
Both Republican leaders released statements Friday reiterating their concerns about the process by which a stimulus package — which could cost between $700 billion and $1 trillion — might be considered.
“Let’s be clear: it is essential that this legislation be debated in a fair, open, and honest way,” Boehner said. “Congress should have public hearings in the appropriate committees, the text of the measure should be made available online for the American people to review for at least one week, and it should be free from special-interest earmarks.”
Similarly, McConnell warned, “We hope that Democrats in Congress don’t attempt to shut the American taxpayer out of this process by trying to pass a bill that hasn’t been the subject of bipartisan review and that hasn’t been available for public inspection.”
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