Stimulus Package Passes In Both Chambers

Stimulus measure sails through senate, narrowly passes in national assembly

MAVOCKE, CEA--The much-debated and long awaited stimulus package has finally passed both houses of Congress.

The senate passed the stimulus bill handily by a vote of 55-35. Several Conservatives joined with their Nationalist colleagues to pass the bill, which was previously held up in the senate for several months. Only two NAT members, Cal Sulley of Harvannah and Matt Hoffbourn of Remmington, voted against the bill.

It was a different story in the national assembly, however, as the bill did pass but narrowly, by a vote of 145-131. The vote was largely along party lines, with several Conservatives crossing over to vote for the bill, and only a few Nationalists opposing the measure.

The $315 billion stimulus package passed this week is significantly less than the $650 billion package originally proposed by President Menuhaeo back in June 2009. That proposed bill failed to pass either chamber, as Conservatives in both the assembly and the senate attacked the plan for a lack of tax cuts and wasteful spending.

After weeks of negotiating, Conservatives and Nationalists in the assembly agreed on a final version of the bill, which included tax cuts and some tax increases on wealthier Grassadellans. The stimulus package underwent a last-minute change in the senate, however, after Conservative senators chopped off $7 billion from the original price tag of $322 billion, thus making the package now worth $315 billion.

The bill's fate in the senate largely came down to "The Negotiators," a bipartisan group of three Conservatives and three Nationalists. The group included Senate Finance Committee Chairman Dana Glow (C-ARA), Curt Blaisek (C-REM), Jay Burns (C-DES), Jean Chaveau (N-DMG), Eli Dundree (N-KLN), and Stephanie Manning (N-LIA).

Mr. Glow, an economist and former corporate CEO, was adamantly opposed to the original stimulus package supported by Collester, but said he voted for the revised version because "a little stimulus will help the economy, as long as we don't over do it."

"Three hundred and fifteen billion is a lot less than six hundred and fifty billion," Glow told reporters in outside the senate chambers. "That's the ultimate reason why I supported this bill. The idea of a stimulus isn't wrong. It's just the amount that makes a difference."

Senator Blaisek told STAR News he supported the bill only because most of the money will go to small businesses and to pay for road and infrastructure projects.

"What this came down to for me was the road and infrastructure projects that our nation desperately needs. This money will help build roads and fix crumbling bridges and bring jobs through the construction industry and that's something that will help us in the long term," Blaisek said.

NAT members were pleased with the bill's passage as well.

"In Damoign, the unemployment rate is 9.09%, and this money from this stimulus package will help give jobs back to people who have lost them, and will help revitalize the economy in our nation's most populus state," Sen. Chaveau told the press.

Those opposed to the stimulus package were very vocal in their opposition, however.

Senator Shannon Barbieri, of POG, spoke for 25 minutes on the floor of the senate about why he opposed the bill.

"This is wasteful. We don't need it. People are voting for it just because it will bring road projects to their states, and that is wrong. This goes against democratic principles," he said.

Senator Evelynn Blankenship of Veroche admitted it was tempting to vote "yes" on the bill for political reasons, but said she was ultimately opposed to the bill because of the "massive amount of money."

"Many of my colleagues are voting "yes" on this bill because it is the politically saavy thing to do. Many of us, like myself, are facing a tough re-election in 2010. And so many of us are voting "yes" because we believe it will pay off politically and help us when the election rolls around. But I, for one, am not about to vote "yes" on this bill just to save my political career," she told her colleagues.

Collester Press Secretary Adam Kolbert said at a Friday afternoon press conference that President Menuhaeo is also pleased with the bill's passage, and he intends to sign it into law.

"The president is extremely well pleased with this bipartisan bill that has come out of the bodies, and he plans on signing it when it hits his desk," Kolbert said.