For House liberals, there can never be enough spending:
Some House Democrats are working furiously to reinstate funds the Senate cut from an $789 billion economic stimulus package speeding to the floor this week.
In particular, progressive Democrats and members of the Congressional Black Caucus would like to see more money for social spending programs that was cut from the Senate package over the weekend in a deal with three moderate Republican senators. It’s not clear if they will get all their wishes, but the deal announced this afternoon will be finalized in the coming hours.
The CBC sent House negotiators a letter Wednesday asking them to add an additional $4.2 billion for the federal government to lend states money to acquire foreclosed homes, another $4 billion for job-training programs and $14 billion for school construction.
They would also like to see more money for broadband Internet access for impoverished neighborhoods and protections in the bill to ensure minority-owned businesses will benefit.
“I’m all for bipartisanship, but I don’t consider three Republican senators bipartisan,” said Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who oversees economic recovery issues for the CBC. “Let’s not deny who we are legislatively for three senators.”
Some of the money is already being reinserted in the bill, Cleaver said, pointing to the money for states to buy foreclosed homes.
When will this bill be done?
If Congress votes on this plan tomorrow – as seems to be the current plan – there’s no way legislators can know what they’re voting on. That’s something that ought to concern Democrats as well as Republicans, who will have to answer to the voters for everything in the bill – whether they know it’s there or not.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
Reading the bill prior to voting on the bill
candoo2 (dkos funluvn1) (Diary) Wednesday, February 11th at 6:29PM EST (link)should be the requirement of each individual member of Congress.
If you don’t read the bill, how can you know for sure you want to vote for or against, unless you are just voting the party line either way?
I make crude sexual jokes about conservatives.
What are the poor
DerKrieger (Diary) Wednesday, February 11th at 8:28PM EST (link)…going to do with high speed broadband? Once they have it available in their neighborhoods will we then need to subsidize the purchase of computers so they can use the broadband we bought for them? What will most of them do with it if anything at all? Watch porn? Pirate movies and music? What?
I spend most of my personal internet time on blogs, reading news, or managing my finances. I doubt very many poor would have similar habits. Access to broadband, or the internet period, will do almost nothing to help poor communities because it in no way impacts the habits they possess that make and keep them poor.
“In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” – Thomas Jefferson
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” – James Madison
Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience.” — John Locke, 1690