Congress Will Work Through January to Send Obama Economic Stimulus Package

[babylonsister]

Congress Will Work Through January to Send Obama Economic Stimulus Package
By Benton Ives and Edward Epstein, CQ Staff


Democratic leaders intend to break with tradition and put members of the new Congress to work as soon as they arrive in Washington, in order to prepare the huge economic stimulus plan President-elect Barack Obama intends to request.

Normally, a new Congress convenes on or shortly after Jan. 3 and then leaves town until the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20. In 2001, when President Bush took office, the House didn’t cast its first vote until Jan. 30. And in 1993, when President Bill Clinton took office, the first vote was on Jan. 26.

But not this time. The 111th Congress will officially convene on Jan. 6. “It is my hope that the new Congress will begin work on an aggressive economic recovery plan when they convene in early January so that our administration can hit the ground running,” Obama said at a Chicago news conference Monday.

Senators have already been told they will be in Washington throughout January. The House also plans to get to work right after its swearing-in. Aides confirmed Monday that the House hopes to have the stimulus ready for Obama around the time he takes office.

“We are already tired, and he hasn’t even been inaugurated yet,” one aide said.

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http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docid=news-000002990646

[Pab Sungenis]

1. Good, this way also

all the confirmation hearings can be done before Obama is inaugurated, and the actual votes taken seconds after the formal nomination papers arrive...right after the inauguration.