Stimulus Bill Will Be Signed Today

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The House:

On February 13th, Congress passed the Conference Report of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, H.R. 1, to save and create jobs, get our economy moving again, and transform it for long-term growth and stability. The bill now goes to the President. This landmark legislation is the first dramatic new investment in the future since the creation of the interstate highway system a half century ago. On January 28, the House passed the initial American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, H.R. 1, working from priorities shared with President Obama.

The Senate:

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Conference Report (Conference Report )

Vote Number: 64 Vote Date: February 13, 2009, 05:29 PM

Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Conference Report Agreed to

Measure Number: H.R. 1 (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 )

Measure Title: A bill making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.

Vote Counts: YEAs 60 NAYs 38 Not Voting 1

OpenCongress Summary:

This is the economic stimulus package that was passed by Congress on Feb. 13, 2009. The final version is estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to cost $787 billion over the 2009-2019 period.

The two portions of the final agreed-upon bill text can be downloaded here in .pdf form (Div. A - appropriations and Div. B - tax provisions).

Countdown: Limbaugh excels at complaining

(At reading a .pdf, not so much.)

Feb. 16: Worst Persons: With the many items Republicans are complaining about regarding the stimulus bill, Rush Limbaugh has added the computer format to his list of belly aches. Watch in Countdown’s Worst Person in the World.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

3:34

The Audacity Of Nope:

Rep. George Miller summed up disgust at Minority Leader Boehner (R-PermaTan) and the GOP strategy of just saying "no":

Today when this country cries out to help this economy, to help America's families who are unemployed, who are losing income, losing jobs, President Obama stepped forth with the American Recovery Act. The Republicans step forth with saying 'no.' It was reflective when Minority Leader John Boehner's instructions to his colleagues to oppose the bill, even as President Obama was traveling the Hill to meet with them and discuss this bill with them, they decided in advance of that meeting they would say 'no.' Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia has said that 'no' is going to be the Republican strategy on this economic crises. 'No' is going to be their strategy, he said. The Republican national spokesman of late, radio host Rush Limbaugh, added that 'no is the strategy by asserting on the air he wants President Obama to fail. Does he understand if President Obama fails, that the American families lose income, they lose their jobs, and the crises continues? And here we see the repeating of 'no'.

Good to know that the GOP is against any progress, any solutions...anything at all that might get us out of the mess we're in. Can you say disingenuous?

Limbaugh's remarks expose him for what he is:

It's all about politics.

Just more of the usual Washington struggle for power and glory.

Only it isn't. When you look at the state of the world economy, indeed in how much we have lost in just four months, the fact is we can't afford to wait four years to fix things. [...]

So whether he realizes it or not, when Limbaugh says he hopes Obama fails, he is hoping for an economic disaster of near-apocalyptic proportions.

In my book, that makes him a traitor to the American people, at least those who aren't in the top 1 percent.