Senate Lacks Votes to Pass Stimulus

[Beacool]

Democrats Trying to Trim $900 Billion Plan to Gain GOP Support


Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, talks to the media about the stimulus bill and the state of the economy. (By Melina Mara -- The Washington Post)

Senate Democratic leaders conceded yesterday that they do not have the votes to pass the stimulus bill as currently written and said that to gain bipartisan support, they will seek to cut provisions that would not provide an immediate boost to the economy.

The legislation represents the first major test for President Obama and an expanded Democratic Congress, both of which have made economic recovery the cornerstone of their new political mandate. The stimulus package has now tripled from its post-election estimate of about $300 billion, and in recent days lawmakers in both parties have grown wary of the swelling cost.

Moderate Republicans are trying to trim the bill by as much as $200 billion, although Democrats working with those GOP senators have not agreed to a specific figure.

The Senate's first vote on a stimulus amendment, a failed effort yesterday to add more infrastructure spending to the package, signaled the change in course. For weeks, the measure has grown to meet a worsening economic crisis with the largest possible infusion of government cash. Despite warnings of dire consequences if Congress does not act boldly, Republicans have become resolute in their opposition to what they view as runaway and unnecessary spending in the legislation. And as the total in the Senate version climbs to $900 billion, unease also is stirring among moderate Democrats.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/03/AR2009020304024.html?hpid=topnews

[Ian David]

1. Harry Reid should resign as Senate leader and let Barbara Boxer have the job. n/t

[Thrill]

5. Its not him on something like this. Its the same assholes

who always crossover and bendover for the Repukes. Bayh, Baucus, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, and several others. See the problem with Democrats in the Senate is you can never count on them

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

10. You said it! The problem with the Democrats is THREE words:

DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP COUNCIL. And all of those you mentioned are members of the DLC.

[Windy]

2. Which means the Blue Dogs aren't supporting it either...

instead of bitching here, call your sentators!

[billybob537]

3. SCREW THE PUKES

They're gonna make you jump through hoops for something they should be supporting!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x36159

[uponit7771]

4. Harrry Reid should resign if this bill fails in the senate, Pelosi should already have one foot out

...of the door for bringing a bill she KNEW (or should've known) would be picked over like this by reThugs and NOT having a well managed message to defend it.

[Beacool]

7. Bingo on Pelosi.

It was Pelosi and the House who loaded the bill with items that they must have known would not pass. The WH shouldn't have given them free reign.

:eyes:

[endarkenment]

6. They need to force a cloture vote and put people on record.

[blueclown]

8. Of course the Senate has the votes.

There will easily be 50 votes in the Senate to pass this bill. What Reid is afraid of is a filibuster. Just give them their cots and make them look like the obstructionists they are.

[demokatgurrl]

9. Unless I really suck at math

doesn't this mean some Dems are being turncoats?

[WI_DEM]

11. They don't have the votes to stop a filibuster.

[Better Believe It]

12. So what? Let them filibuster. At some point 60 Senators will vote for cloture.

All filibusters end.

[Numba6]

13. Not enough tax cuts?

But A Tax Cut Won't Educate Your Child

[notundecided]

14. I think Obama should call the Repugs bluff

Let them filibuster while the economy crumbles. It would be the end of the Republican party.

[Jennicut]

15. It would be reminiscent of Newt's shutting the government down during Clinton's era

The Rethugs are a bunch of babies, let the world show them they are.

[backscatter712]

16. If Reid had a pair...

He'd force the Rethugs to do a real filibuster, and he'd do what LBJ did to get the Civil Rights Act passed and refuse to refer new business to the Senate Floor until the stimulus is forced to a vote.

But no, Reid's gonna continue to act like a battered wife "Sure the Rethugs beat the crap out of me, but I LOVE THEM!!!"

[Hippo_Tron]

17. The civil rights act filibuster ended with cloture and cloture was obtained by compromise

There's a reason that we have modern filibuster rules. If in fact we did force them to filibuster, 41 senators could and would hold the senate floor for months. Stalling business in the Senate wouldn't hurt the Republicans, it would hurt Obama and the Democrats. The country elected Obama to get things done and if he doesn't deliver then he gets the blame. Republicans have no responsibility to get things done and thus they can stand there and read the phone book for as long as they want without any real consequences.