House, Senate Negotiators Reach Agreement on Stimulus
I’m anxious to see the final bill. Hopefully it is something most Americans can get behind and the country can start to move forward out of this economic mess.
By Paul Kane and William Branigin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, February 11, 2009; 3:07 PM
House and Senate negotiators reached agreement today on a stimulus plan with a cost of about $789 billion after scaling down the versions passed by both houses, congressional leaders announced.
“The differences between the Senate and House versions were resolved,” Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters this afternoon.
He said the final version “creates more jobs than the original Senate bill and spends less than the original House bill.” The bill passed by the Senate yesterday totaled $838 billion. The House version approved last week had a price tag of $819 billion.
February 12th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
meanwhile back at the ranch. I did 2 occupancy checks on recently foreclosed homes this morning. That means they have to be out along with anything they are taking. Amazing what folks leave behind.
Grace Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
What do you do with the left over? Garage sale?
Wizcon Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Actually I am thinking of that. The Bank just wants it out. One house had a NICE leather couch in it and a boat in the back yard. Going to have to talk to the powers that be about that!And find someone with a pickup. I just have a little Jetta. Today I was only allowed to stick my head in to see if the heat was on. The gas man came for a final reading while I was there.
Some people leave terrible messes designed for insult on your senses. Like locking their dogs in the basement for a week and not cleaning up after them. One house had loads of chemicals in it. The bomb squad and hazardous chemical people had to deal with that. They think the renters had a meth lab there. The Bomb squad was for an old grenade found in the basement cupboards.
Grace Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Wow…your job sounds exciting! Bomb squad and everything! Are you a secret agent…and just not telling us here.
Wizcon Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
No I am not! LOL just get a close up of how people live and deal with life. I wasn’t the one to put 2 and 2 together. I just told the realtor that was listing it that the house really smelled. It had a huge detached garage where at one time someone was fixing cars. I just chalked it up to that.
February 12th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
To the Beach Boys tune of “fun, fun, fun till her daddy takes her t-bird away”… the new tune is “spend, spend, spend until Obama takes our freedoms away”…
February 12th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Did bush leave any for him to take away?
February 12th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I didn’t personally notice any loss of freedom under Bush as I could still buy a gun, could fly or drive to anywhere I needed, could spend whatever money I had left after taxes on anything I needed, could choose my doctors and so on. Bush did mismanage to a certain extent the country’s finances, but he had lots of help from Congress. With the government money printing presses running a full tilt, the wealth that will be shared won’t come without strings attached. Also, we may have to get new money where the new dollar bill will be equal to 500 old dollar bills, a model that is being followed currently in Zimbabwe. Now that’s stimulus where lots of people can be employed designing and printing new money!
Wizcon Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Wonder what he thought of the phone ramblings of my alzheimer Dad who was with the OSS and lived in saudi arabia for many years. He went thru a phase of talking about “goat grabs” in the desert which were all male meetings of Mucky mucks. Heard a few interesting things about the royal family. One thing about phone taps nowdays. They don’t beep on occaision when they are listening. Ask Blago.
alisilver Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I strongly believe we’ve got a new currency around the corner.
February 12th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
The Patriot Act was quite a draconian bill that allowed the government way too much leeway in spying on American citizens. I’m not sure what freedoms anyone thinks Obama is going to take away. That stuff about the government managing health care is bogus.
As for spending, I doubt anybody could beat the last 8 years for spending.
Wizcon Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Perhaps there needs to be more emphasis on wellness or preventive medicine. Grassroots co-op clinics where you can go and get basic screening labs etc. For “cheap”. The way deductibles are, you might as well be paying out of pocket for that and get insurance for major medical only. You wouldn’t necessarily need full MD’s for that. PA’s and nurse practitioners who can refer if needed.
Grace Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Is Patriot Act gone? I did not like that “Act” at all.
Sage Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Nope, it’s not gone. Probably never will be.