The House and Senate gave final congressional approval to sweeping economic-recovery legislation, marking a new milestone of federal intervention in the nation’s economy.
The action came a little more than a year after the Democratic Congress, pushed by then-President George W. Bush, adopted a stimulus package that was less than a third the size of the revised $787.2 billion plan approved Friday.
How am I going to spend my extra $8.00/week, what will I do with my stimulus money? Obama and the Democrats are too kind to the American citizens.
After a month of wrangling, Congress voted to pass a compromise economic recovery package of spending provisions, tax cuts and aid to laid-off workers and their families. The 1,073-page bill contains hundreds of provisions.
Not a single Republican backed the package Friday in the House, where seven Democrats joined 176 Republicans in opposition, and 246 voted for it.
Hours later, the Senate, voting 60-38, cleared the measure to be sent to the White House for President Barack Obama to sign into law. Three Republicans joined with 57 Senate Democrats in support of the package; 38 Republicans voted against it. source.
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Related Reading:
Earmarks: Disclosure, Legal Developments and Transportation Funding (Congressional Policies, Practice and Procedures)Earmark disclosure rules in both the House and Senate were implemented with the stated intention of bringing more transparency to congressionally directed spending. The administrative responsibilities associated with these rules vary by chamber. This book outlines the major administrative responsibilities of Members and committees of the House of Representative and the Senate associated with the chamber's earmark disclosure rules.
Earmarks Executive Order: Legal IssuesOn January 29, 2008, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13,457, “Protecting American Taxpayers from Government Spending on Wasteful Earmarks.” The order states that it is the policy of the federal government “to be judicious in the expenditure of taxpayer dollars.” In order “[t]o ensure the proper use of taxpayer funds,” the order provides that the number and cost of earmarks should be reduced, that their origin and purposes should be transparent; and that they should be included in the text of bills voted upon by Congress and presented to the President. For appropriations laws and other legislation enacted after the date of the order, it directs executive agencies not to commit, obligate, or expend funds on the basis of earmarks included in any non-statutory source, including requests in reports of committees of Congress or other congressional documents or communications on behalf of Members of Congress, or any other non-statutory source, except when required by law or when an agency itself has determined that a project, program, grant, or other transaction has merit under statutory criteria or other merit-based decision-making.In the context of the order, an “earmark” is defined as any funds provided by Congress for projects, programs, or grants where the purported congressional direction (whether in statutory text, report language, or other communication) circumvents otherwise applicable merit-based or competitive allocation processes, or specifies the location or recipient, or otherwise curtails the ability of the executive branch to manage its statutory and constitutional responsibilities pertaining to the funds allocation process.
There is a long tradition of congressional inclusion of, and agency compliance with, spending directives that are delineated in committee report language or in joint explanatory statements issued by conference committees. If applied rigorously, the provisions of Executive Order 13,457 could significantly alter this traditional dynamic. Accordingly, this report provides an overview of the provisions of the order; addresses questions that have arisen regarding both the President’s authority to control executive branch activity in this context and the effect of non-statutory congressional spending directives; and considers and evaluates potential congressional responses to the executive order. The report will be updated as events warrant.
Sh*t My Vice-President Says: With Bonus Material from the Obama White House, Democratic Congress, and Other Special Friends!“Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me.” But would she have given us so many priceless verbal gaffes? George W. Bush has left the White House, but Vice President Joe Biden continues his hilarious legacy of memorable misstatements and spoken-word screw-ups.
“Look, John (McCain)’s last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs.”
“Stand up, Chuck, let ’em see ya.” (to Missouri state senator Chuck Graham, who is in a wheelchair)
Sh*t My Vice President Says captures every entertaining gem, with extra special commentary and a selection of winning quips from Biden’s silver-tongued compatriots, such as Nancy Pelosi, Rahm Emanuel, and more!
The Great Recession ConspiracyThis book is intended to answer five questions and speculate on the sixth. They are;1) What is really happening to the U.S. economy?
2) How did this recession come about?
3) Who is responsible for this recession?
4) Is the government following the right policies?
5) What can I do to protect my job and/or my company?
6) What is likely to happen next?
And the subtext that runs through the book is that there is a conspiracy among Wall Street bankers to loot the U.S. Treasury (that is where your money is kept). We present the evidence and you make your own decision.
