Unsnagged
Conflict averted tonight as House and Senate leaders finally arrived at an agreement on a $789B economic stimulus package. CNN reported that the final snag came as lawmakers wrestled with how to allocate money for school construction:
Senators had cut a plan to provide direct funding for school construction -- a priority for some Democrats -- and instead set aside money for governors to use on school modernization and rehabilitation. House Democrats did not believe that money would ultimately be targeted enough to school districts in need.In the version announced by Reid, $10 billion had been added to the $44 billion previously allocated toward "state stabilization" to help school infrastructure.
Using that state stabilization vehicle, the money is given to governors to parcel out. But aides say House members would rather this $10 billion go through Title I, which would allocate the money based on need.
The White House issued a statement on behalf of Pres. Obama praising the collaborative effort to get the bill passed. Note the special nod to House Democrats for starting the process.
"I want to thank the Democrats and Republicans in Congress who came together around a hard-fought compromise that will save or create more than 3.5 million jobs and get our economy back on track. Just today, the CEO of Caterpillar said that if this American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is passed, his company would be able to rehire some of the employees they've been forced to lay off. It's also a plan that will provide immediate tax relief to families and businesses, while investing in priorities like health care, education, energy, and infrastructure that will grow our economy once more. I'm grateful to the House Democrats for starting this process, and for members in the House and Senate for moving it along with the urgency that this moment demands."
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