Senate To Vote Monday On Stimulus Bill(Specter, Snowe and Collins On Board)

[tekisui]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The $820 billion economic stimulus bill agreed to by U.S. Senate negotiators will be put up for a vote Monday, senators and aides say.

The compromise was reached Friday when several moderate Republicans, including Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, put Democrats over the 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority needed to pass the measure, Washington publication The Hill reported Saturday.

Assuming the massive stimulus bill passes the Senate Monday, it would then move to a House-Senate conference committee to iron out differences between the two chambers' versions -- and their differences are many. Obama and congressional Democrats want to pass a conference bill by next weekend, aides say.

The House version is an $819 billion measure, and although the price tags are similar, perhaps the biggest difference is a $70 billion Alternative Minimum Tax patch provision in the Senate bill that's missing from the House version. Even though House Democrats support the AMT relief, they were looking for a final bill totaling around $900 billion if it included AMT relief, The Hill said.

Another difference in the bills is Medicaid funding, which is likely to trigger disputes in conference.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/02/07/Senate_to_vote_Monday_on_stimulus_bill/UPI-26801234008203/

[ShortnFiery]

1. Yes! Do it Monday. :-) eom

[tsuki]

2. Don't count on Spector. He puffs up for the cameras, and then

caves.

[fight4my3sons]

3. thank you for the link

:hi:

[spanone]

4. if we gave ALL THE CONCESSIONS why only 2 or 3 puke votes??????

[Warren Stupidity]

9. That was what was needed to cancel a filibuster.

My guess is that these 3 or 4 will vote for cloture and then most of them will turn around and vote against the bill itself.

Compromise sucks.

[Better Believe It]

5. Ooopppsss! Now Senator Reid will postpone the vote until Tuesday ......

or perhaps Wednesday, maybe soon after Presidents Day, possibly March, delay, delay, delay, delay.

This is really being dragged out by Reid.

He was going to schedule a vote on Thursday, changed it to Friday, moved it up to Sunday, than Monday, now Tuesday.

He easily has enough votes to pass the stimulus bill, 51.

But, he's determined to get 1 or 2 Republican votes for a weaker bill and perhaps he trembles at the thought of a possible Republican filibuster should he bring it to a vote.

The longer he delays the more likely he won't get the magical 60 number.

Vote it up or down now.

And if all of the Republicans and some Democrats vote against the bill or threaten a filibuster let them!

All filibusters end.

Now if the vote takes place on Tuesday how will this bill get out of conference and be voted on again in both Houses before Presidents Day?

----------------------------------

Stimulus Vote Not Till Tuesday

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

The Senate will bring a version of the economic recovery bill to a vote Tuesday afternoon, where it's expected to pass.

Comes after senators reach a $780 billion bipartisan plan late Friday.

http://thepage.time.com/2009/02/07/stimulus-vote-delayed/

[MiniMe]

6. That gives the republics the weekend to work them over

Specter amd the Maine girls will be going to a re-education camp this weekend.

[AlinPA]

8. Limbaugh will issue his orders and all three will back down. It is a mistake not

to have the cloture vote today.

[MiniMe]

7. The Dems big mistake was giving the republics too much of what they wanted in the

original bill. If they hadn't, Dems could have voted yes on a lot of the republic amendments and it wouldn't seem like they were shut out, at least the Reps say they were shut out.

[global1]

10. It Ain't Over Till It's Voted.......

I don't trust the Repugs - by Monday the Jobs Bill (JB) can turn into a BJ.