Agreement Announced on Economic Stimulus…What Now?
As numerous news media are doing at this hour, the Seattle Times just announced that an agreement has been reached between the Senate and the House on a $789 billion economic stimulus package:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced agreement on stimulus bill. Moving with remarkable speed, key lawmakers and the White House were working on a $789 billion economic stimulus measure designed to create millions of jobs in a nation reeling from recession.
The New York Times reports:
Negotiations had been going on all day, following extensive talks on Tuesday night, to close the gap between the Senate and House versions. In the end, the agreed-upon package will pare back Democrats’ proposed spending on education and health programs in favor of tax cuts that were needed to win Republican votes in the Senate
This latest development clears the way for final action and for President Obama’s signature.
Almost assured of a White House signature and subsequent implementation, the only question that remains is, what will Republican legislators (and their cheerleading Limbaugh’s and Hannity’s) do now?
Will they be patriotic enough to, in a constructive way, join forces with Democrats to make the stimulus plan succeed, even though they feel that they had a better plan?
Will they be diligent enough to try to improve the plan’s chances for success by good faith efforts to shape its implementation by including what they feel are essential elements of their approach to rescuing the economy?
Will they be partisan enough to just sit by the sidelines so that they can say “We told you so,” in case things do go wrong, and benefit at the next elections?.
Or, will they just be themselves and continue to malign and even obstruct its implementation just to prove they were right, whether they were right or not?
We’ll soon see
18 Responses to “Agreement Announced on Economic Stimulus…What Now?”
Will they be patriotic enough to, in a constructive way, join forces with Democrats to make the stimulus plan succeed, even though they feel that they had a better plan?
Fascists aim to create a single-party state in which the government is led by a dictator who seeks unity by requiring individuals to subordinate self-interest to the collective interest of the nation
“Or, will they just be themselves and continue to malign and even obstruct its implementation just to prove they were right, whether they were right or not?”
Pretty good post until this unnecessarily snarky comment.
Wow, Greenschemes:
“Will they be diligent enough to try to improve the plan’s chances for success by good faith efforts to shape its implementation by including what they feel are essential elements of their approach to rescuing the economy?”
Fascism???
I guess, by your definition, the six years of a Republican Congress/Adminstration ramming legislation down Democrats' throats, represned REALLY 6 Facist years…
DaGoat:
Hopefully the last commens will be proven to be “unnecessarily snarky.”
If, so, I aplogize in advance.
I guess I don't understand what form the Republican's acquiescence is supposed to take. What power do they have to shape the way this bill is implemented? Can you define what you would consider a 'good faith effort', Dorian?
CS:
I would imagine that there will be plenty of follow-up amendments, legislation, funding requirements, oversight, hearings, constructive arm-twisting and lobbying, constructive parliamentary maneuvers, etc., etc. where Republican legislators and their constituents can influence and shape, if not the legislation itself then the implementation of the plan.
I am not a Congressional legislative expert. Perhaps someone who is, can add some more ways??
Republicans are not known to be acquiescent, and I don't think they will be. But there are ways and there are ways.
The slash and burn Limbaugh way I don't think will work this time.
Limbaugh isn't in Congress, and as much as he may annoy, he's entitlled to speak his opinion freely. So I think it's important to separate the actual elected officials from the media blowhards (I promise not to hold Obama accountable for what Keith Olbermann or progressive bloggers say as well, deal?)
And I do think that if you're going to be looking out for how the GOP is reacting, and accusing them of being unpatriotic if they don't make good faith efforts, then it's very important to know what it is they can and can't do anyway. I mean, I'll admit that I felt that the Democrats often didn't act in good faith when they were in the minority but instead decided to complain instead of proposing better alternatives or helping to improve policy- but I wasn't altogether unrealistic about what they had the power to actually do. My main complaints were with rhetoric, particularly regarding the Iraq War. There were some very legitimate criticisms that should have been made about the way the war was being prosecuted, but instead of going in that direction we had a large contingency of Democrats who had supported the war and then pretty quickly started agitating public opinion against the decision that they helped support.
I'm not trying to get off on a tangent to argue about the past, but just presenting that as an example because that's a case where the rhetoric really matters. In the present situation, for instance, I think you could legitimately say that you'll be disappointed if the GOP chooses to stir up more negative psychology regarding the economic crisis instead of critiquing in a more rational way and attempting to boost public morale rather than create more fear and negative backlash for the Democrats. But on actual policy, it doesn't appear that they're going to have much leeway so I don't see anything wrong with them acting in a way to block any future legislation that they think is harmful, or asking for some accountability on the funds that are already being authorized. For instance, unfortunately I believe that we'll continue to hear calls for more spending as this all unfolds (more bailouts, and then quite possibly more 'stimulus' if this one isn't doing the trick.) If and when that happens, I'll expect my Congressman to say “hold on, can we see some data on whether or not the first stimulus is having any positive effect before we're asked to commit more funds for similar purposes?” or “if the first allotments haven't been effective, we need to know why not before we can even consider doubling down on that wager.”
Having just written what my expectations are from my Congressman, I see he's already launching what I consider an appropriate dissent about the process:
http://rsc.tomprice.house.gov/News/DocumentSing…
I obviously support the stimulus but I agree with CStanley. What exactly does it mean to oppose the stimulus at this point? To cheerlead depression? Not likely.
Greenschemes,
Godwin's law, dude. Godwin's law.
CS:
1. RE:http://themoderatevoice.com/26390/dems%e2%80%99-ethical-troubles/
See my http://themoderatevoice.com/26390/dems%e2%80%99…
2.Having been accused by Republicans of being unpatriotic fror opposing the Iraq war and many other affiliated programs, I guess I can see how that could be offensive
3.The reason for bringing Limbaugh into the discussion (I know, thank God, he is not a legislator) is that I understand so many Republican legislators pretty much consider hoim to be the titular head of the party, some of them even groveling before The One.
4. Please don't get us started about “going along with the war in the beginning,” For starters, when your president tells you that a country is a clear and present threat, that it has weapons of mass destruction, conjures up the “mushroom cloud,” etc., etc, you kind of tend to believe him and support him…at first, until the truth starts coming out
5. Other than that, good points, and, as I said, there will be plenty of opportunity for Republican legislators to support, modify, change, or obstruct the stimulus plan.
As you say:
“… I don't see anything wrong with them acting in a way to block any future legislation that they think is harmful, or asking for some accountability on the funds that are already being authorized. For instance, unfortunately I believe that we'll continue to hear calls for more spending as this all unfolds (more bailouts, and then quite possibly more 'stimulus' if this one isn't doing the trick.) If and when that happens, I'll expect my Congressman to say “hold on, can we see some data on whether or not the first stimulus is having any positive effect before we're asked to commit more funds for similar purposes?” or “if the first allotments haven't been effective, we need to know why not before we can even consider doubling down on that wager.”
That's what a democracy is all about
Elrod.
Where was the invocation of Godwin's law when the left was railing against the fascist/Nazi George W. Bush? Where is it Elrod when someone posts using Dubya?
What goes around comes around. Talk such as Mr. De Wind and the democrats who are fear mongering and suggesting that those who oppose anything put forth by congress is unpatriotic is neither productive for our nation and certainly is the very mindset that got us into Iraq with little or no questions asked. So now the questioning is by the right of the left. Now the Right are Unpatriotic for questioning the wisdom of the left.
It just amazes me the lengths that people will go to support their own fallible positions using the same arguments they railed against when used by their opponents against them.
4. Please don't get us started about “going along with the war in the beginning,” For starters, when your president tells you that a country is a clear and present threat, that it has weapons of mass destruction, conjures up the “mushroom cloud,” etc., etc, you kind of tend to believe him and support him…at first, until the truth starts coming out
And yes when your president tells you this economy is a catastrophe and that if you do not do what he says we will all be sitting in cardboard boxes……………..
What goes around comes around. Questioning Bush was unpatriotic and lead to years of contentious bickering and anger beyond words from the left. Now the shoe is on the other foot and Ill be damned if they are not spouting the same damn rhetoric.
Will this never end?
GreenSchemes:
1. If you go back and read, I said “Will they be patriotic enough to, in a constructive way, join forces with Democrats to make the stimulus plan succeed, even though they feel that they had a better plan?” “Patriotic enough” is not quite the same as “unpatriotic,” yet if it offends anyone, I do apologize, having been called exactly that for not supporting the Iraq war.
2. Hopefully you didn't really mean to say “Questioning Bush was unpatriotic”?
3.” Will this never end?” Is this a plea from someone who,in the very first comment in this thread, accused some of “facism”?
I have to agree with what greenschemes is pointing out- that even when the president is painting a dire picture and saying we must act immediately, some degree of questioning is in order. I happen to think that the conversations that go on behind closed doors can often be deduced from the actions that follow; I honestly don't think any of our legislators is unpatriotic (though sometimes misguided), so when they hear the predictions of doom and still feel there's time for a bit of debate before acting, then they're unconvinced but when they leave those meetings and decide to give the president a blank check (if this goes against what would be their natural political interest) then they must have had the snot scared out of them by the information that they heard but we did not.
“Agreement Announced on Economic Stimulus…What Now?”
Now we take the stimulus right up the ass, that's what.
AustinRoth: “Now we take the stimulus right up the ass, that's what.”
And on that note, we go forward. Hopefully, the stimulus, up you-know-what, will do some good
3.” Will this never end?” Is this a plea from someone who,in the very first comment in this thread, accused some of “facism”?
I am a commenter who most likely has about 10 percent of his posts actually read.
YOU are a published OP on a widely read blog. The difference is huge however its amazing to me that you fail to make that distinction. Which is why this country is in the mess its in. People really dont seem to think.
D.E -
Well, the CBO says the real cost will be about $3.27 TRILLION dollars.
Would you like some K-Y?