A comparison of economic stimulus plans (House v. Senate)

[babylonsister]

A comparison of economic stimulus plans

By The Associated Press – 2 hours ago

A comparison of the $838 billion economic recovery plan passed by the Senate with an $820 billion version passed by the House. Additional debt costs would add almost $350 billion over 10 years. Many provisions expire in two years.

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SPENDING

AID TO POOR AND UNEMPLOYED:

_Senate — $40 billion to provide extended unemployment benefits through Dec. 31, and increase them by $25 a week; $16.5 billion to increase food stamp benefits by 12 percent through fiscal 2011 and issue a one-time bonus payment; $3 billion in temporary welfare payments.

_House — Comparable extension of unemployment insurance; $20 billion to increase food stamp benefits by 14 percent; $2.5 billion in temporary welfare payments; $1 billion for home heating subsidies and $1 billion for community action agencies.

DIRECT CASH PAYMENTS:

_Senate — $17 billion to give one-time $300 payments to Social Security recipients, poor people on Supplemental Security Income, and veterans receiving disability and pensions.

_House — $4 billion to provide a one-time additional Supplemental Security Income payment to poor elderly and disabled people of $450 for individuals and $630 for married couples.

INFRASTRUCTURE:

_Senate — $46 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair and $11.5 billion for mass transit and rail projects; $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; $5 billion for public housing improvements; $6.4 billion for clean and drinking water projects.

_House — $47 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair and $12 billion for mass transit, including $7.5 billion to buy transit equipment such as buses; $31 billion to build and repair federal buildings and other public infrastructure; $12.4 billion in rail and mass transit projects.

HEALTH CARE:

_Senate — $20 billion to subsidize health care insurance for the unemployed under the COBRA program; $87 billion to help states with Medicaid; $22 billion to modernize health information technology systems; $10 billion for health research and construction of National Institutes of Health facilities.

_House — $40 billion for more generous COBRA subsidies and to provide health care through Medicaid; $87 billion to help states with Medicaid; $20 billion to modernize health information technology systems; $4 billion for preventative care; $1.5 billion for community health centers; $420 million to combat avian flu; $335 million for programs that combat AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.

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