Senate Passes Stimulus Bill, Now What?

The Senate passed a heavily redacted stimulus bill today, even less stimulating than what the House passed a week and a half ago. Neither are what Barack Obama initially wanted and even further from what America really needs to get the economy going again. Well, before President Obama signs it, the bill has to go to a House-Senate Conference Committee, that is, unless the House bows down before Senate's version. Granting that doesn't happen, it is time for Obama to get to work so that committee delivers something of value to the nation. Perhaps he might want to remind the members of the Conference what they are doing to their own states by axing so much of the bill's original intent.

From TPM:

Arizona, where Sen. John McCain (R) is touting his dogged opposition to the stimulus, is facing a $1.6 billion budget shortfall that could double in size by next year -- a gap representing nearly one-third of the state's general fund, according to the CBPP.

The state already has eliminated temporary health benefits for the disabled, hiked public university tuition by 9.5%, and instituted a hiring freeze. Meanwhile, McCain and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) are almost certain to vote against even the compromise cuts to state stabilization aid, with McCain thundering that the stimulus will "mortgage the future of our children [with] fiscally profligate spending."

Let's not even mention Nevada, where Sen. John Ensign (R) is opposing state stabilization aid despite a budget deficit that swallows 38% of the general fund. A provision in the stimulus says that states may lose out on money if they do not increase education spending to 2006 levels -- a requirement that Nevada is finding difficult to meet. The state already has delayed a promised kindergarten expansion, cut money for gifted and disabled education, and sliced public university aid, according to the CBPP's analysis.

Which brings us to Maine, the home of lead centrist negotiator Sen. Susan Collins (R). The state budget chief says Maine is hoping for as much as $1 billion in federal aid to help close a deficit that is already forcing layoffs and fee increases. So why did Collins work so hard to trim the estimated $250 million in state stabilization aid that would have gone to her own constituents? If she knows, she's not telling.

And these Republicans are just the tip of the iceberg.

The budget gaps are daunting to say the least. Here in New York the number is $13.7 billion for FY 2010 alone. Yet Republicans and so-called centrists would rather stick to a failed ideology that incorrectly states that tax cuts create jobs. History says otherwise. President Obama is trying to be pragmatic about our economic doldrum and it would be best to put partisan games aside for the sake of the country at least just this once.