February 6, 2009
WASHINGTON – The Senate Democratic leader expressed optimism Friday about the prospects for a massive economic recovery package while President Barack Obama used the cudgel of his office — and the latest dire jobless numbers — to challenge lawmakers to act swiftly.
On Capitol Hill, centrists from both parties scrambled to cut the massive, $900-billion-plus price tag of the package in hopes of making it more palatable to Republicans. On the flip side of the bipartisan effort, Obama sharpened his rhetoric in challenging the GOP to back the measure, arguing that last November voters rejected "partisan posturing," and "the same tried and failed approaches."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada reflected the fierce sense of urgency among Democrats and the White House amid the party's fear that Republicans were turning public opinion against the costly bill.
"The world is waiting to see what we're going to do in the next 24 hours," Reid said on the Senate floor, citing the bleaker economic picture.
A group of nearly 20 moderates from both parties — more Democrats than Republicans — have been negotiating in hopes of cutting as much as $100 billion from Obama's plan, which has ballooned to $937 billion on the Senate floor, with further add-ons possible during a long day of votes Friday.
Their efforts came as new government figures showed recession-battered employers eliminated 598,000 jobs in January, the most since the end of 1974. The unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent.
Obama said he hoped Congress members would react to "the single worst month of job loss in 35 years."
"I hope they share my sense of urgency and draw the same unmistakable conclusion: The situation could not be more serious," Obama said Friday. He acknowledged the $900-billion-plus plan was not perfect and pledged to work with lawmakers to refine the measure, which he called "absolutely necessary."
"But broadly speaking, the package is the right size," Obama said.
Earlier, Reid commended the work of the centrist lawmakers and said progress has been made since Thursday night. He said a vote on the Senate bill by Friday evening was possible.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Friday morning circulated a roster proposing $88 billion worth of net cuts from the measure. She proposed eliminating money in the bill for K-12 education while boosting funding for Pentagon operations, facilities and procurement by $13 billion.
Collins is one of just three to five Republican targets Democrats hope to attract to breach the critical 60-vote barrier, though some in the group, such a Mel Martinez, R-Fla., were said to be balking.
Collins has been working with Ben Nelson, D-Neb. Both met separately with Reid Friday morning.
Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the GOP is ready to support a bill, "but we will not support an aimless spending spree that masquerades as a stimulus."
He added: "Putting another $1 trillion on the nation's credit card isn't something we should do lightly. We need to get a stimulus. But more importantly, we need to get it right."
Obama pleaded with House Democrats on Thursday night to reject delaying tactics and political gamesmanship and work with the Senate to get a bill. In the campaign-like speech, the president also ridiculed Republican criticism of the legislation.
"We can't embrace the losing formula that says only tax cuts will work for every problem we face; that ignores critical challenges like our addiction to foreign oil, or the soaring cost of health care, or falling schools and crumbling bridges and roads and levees," Obama said at the retreat in Williamsburg, Va.
"I don't care whether you're driving a hybrid or an SUV — if you're headed for a cliff, you've got to change direction," he said.
He dismissed at least one GOP complaint about the bill.
"So then you get the argument, well, 'this is not a stimulus bill, this is a spending bill.' What do you think a stimulus is? That's the whole point," he said to laughter from House Democrats.
If a compromise on trimming the bill can't be reached — or if it won't fly with Democratic loyalists — the alternative for Reid is to try to ram the measure through with just a few GOP supporters, such as Olympia Snowe of Maine. He expressed confidence he has the 60 votes needed to press it through if need be.
The massive measure is a key early test for Obama, who has made it the centerpiece of his fledgling presidency.
The Collins-Nelson group is hoping to bring the measure's cost down to the $800 billion range, though they were working from the $885 billion measure that came to the floor — ignoring the more than $50 billion added over the past three days. A recalculated cost for a popular plan to award a $15,000 homebuyer tax credit pushed the overall price tag to $937 billion.
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