Threats now?
Democrats warn GOP on stimulus
By J. Taylor Rushing
Posted: 01/29/09
thehill.com
Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday warned they would cut off the GOP’s ability to offer amendments to the stimulus if Republicans try to stall or block it.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democratic Conference Secretary Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said the stimulus plan deserves Republican support but could pass without it.
Reid last year restricted the GOP’s ability to offer amendments to legislation but has been allowing a more open process so far this year. He warned Thursday that will change if Republicans try to stall stimulus legislation Democrats want to send to President Obama by the Presidents Day weekend.
“I am confident that we’re going to get Republican support, but if we don’t it’s not our fault,” Reid said. “We’ve set a pattern this year of having an open amendment process, and until that’s abused we’re going to continue that.”
The House voted 244-188 on Wednesday for an $800 billion stimulus package, and Reid said the Senate would start its debate Monday with a goal of finishing before the Presidents Day weekend.
No House Republicans voted for the stimulus bill on Wednesday, and Senate Republicans have also criticized it. They’ve pressed to increase the size of tax cuts and housing incentives in the package.
“Republicans have better ideas to dramatically improve this bill that will go at the problem, create jobs, and stimulate the economy,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a floor speech Thursday. “But in order to pass these, and other commonsense amendments, we need support from our friends across the aisle.”
Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) has also said if GOP amendments aren’t allowed and the economy continues to falter, Democrats will bear clear responsibility.
Democratic leaders pushed back against the GOP criticism, saying they compromised with the Bush administration over last year’s stimulus bill and that Republicans should do the same now.
“Here’s what I can say to my friend Jon Kyl: The mess we’re in we inherited from his president,” Durbin said. “We’re going to work with the Republicans in a constructive way, and I hope we can reach a bipartisan accord. But we’ve been given an unholy mess to deal with, and it came from a Republican administration which he supported.”
Reid defended the spending provisions in the program as appropriate, arguing that Republicans are simply “nitpicking.”
“Stimulus is in the eye of the beholder, OK?” Reid said. “We have put everything that we can in this legislation to create jobs and change what we need to change … If Democrats or Republicans want to offer amendments to improve this legislation by adding or taking away, of course I’ll take a look at it.” |
