February 12, 2009
Posted: February 12th, 2009 10:00 AM ET

ALT TEXT

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday an agreement has been reached between the House and Senate on the stimulus bill, but is there a deal? (GETTY IMAGES)

(CNN) - Congress is set to send a $789 billion economic stimulus package to President Obama's desk by Monday after lawmakers worked around a disagreement over education funding in the package.

The stimulus deal was struck Wednesday after another furious day of negotiations on Capitol Hill involving House and Senate leaders, Obama administration officials and a trio of moderate Republicans.

The agreement represents a deal that everyone can live with, Democratic leadership sources said.

Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said it is possible the House of Representatives could take up the bill as early as Thursday and the Senate possibly Friday, meeting Obama's timetable of having the bill on his desk by Presidents Day, which is Monday.

Full story

Filed under: House • Senate


gary n.   February 12th, 2009 2:41 pm ET

@ aware

We've been in a slow slide since Reagan. It takes years to create the mess we're in now.

Jim   February 12th, 2009 1:30 pm ET

CNN: Do you have a problem with approving my posts. Seems I am constantly awaiting moderation. Maybe I am a little too quick for your moderators. Should I slow down on my typing??

rich   February 12th, 2009 1:16 pm ET

Got to love how forgetfull republicans are about whose economic policys got here."Death of a party" coming to your town starring the republican party.I give it 5 stars.

rich   February 12th, 2009 1:15 pm ET

Got to love how forgetfull republicans are about whose economic policys got here."Death of a party" coming to your town starring the republican party.I give it 5 stars.

nancy   February 12th, 2009 12:51 pm ET

13.00 extra in your weekly pay beginning in June. Wow, wake up people and smell the lies and deciet before its too late!!!

Jim   February 12th, 2009 12:49 pm ET

You are SO right, "aware."

Obama's Rahm Emanuel actually said in November: "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."

J.P.   February 12th, 2009 12:36 pm ET

We have a choice: bear out 24-30 months of yet another cyclical recession, one that is not nearly as bad or severe as Jimmy Carter's Malaise mess of 1979-1980... (double digit inflation, double-digit unemployment, double-digit interest rates over 20%... those are REAL economic problems)

...or ride out the same 24-30 month cyclical recession AAAAAAAND add nearly NINE TRILLION DOLLARS to the debt (of which the $789B stimulus is but a piece)... and to add insult to injury, very little of the "stimulus" money will arrive in time to do anything for the economy since it will recover on it's own right on schedule...

... and all for the purpose of economically enslaving the next five generations of Americans into government servitude and Soviet-style bleakness.

I'm sorry, but I'd rather suffer my cold now than force five generations of my decendents to take the cyanide pills we're being sold as the cure.

Bill in California   February 12th, 2009 12:27 pm ET

By all means let us ALL celebrate! The American ship of state is burning out of control, in open waters and is sinking fast whilst the new CAPTAIN and mates are trying to douse the flames with buckets of kerosene.

aware   February 12th, 2009 12:23 pm ET

Politicians love a crisis – real – or imagined – huge or pumped up!

And the democrats are using the economic downturn they created with their housing debacle to force more big brother programs down lazy, stupid, apathetic or panicked people's throats! :(

Banquo   February 12th, 2009 11:59 am ET

A sorry affair.
Millions for Pelosi's mouse, but it's not an "Earmark"!
Shameless corruption of the language and denial of truth.

Tom in S.A.   February 12th, 2009 11:58 am ET

Rush it through as fast as you can before America figures out what's in it.
Tell your Grams and Gramps to go see the doc now, pretty soon Gov't is going to tell their doc what he can and can't do for them. Page 196 of Daschle's book people.........

Mike in Columbus   February 12th, 2009 11:53 am ET

What I really LOVE reading, are all of the posts from "conservatives" who claim repeatedly that the 800 billion in the stimulus bill is going to break America, and having our kids paying for years, etc...

Our national debt is nearly 11 trillion dollars, but this will be what breaks us somehow.

Where were all of these economic experts posting here, and the born again fiscal "conservatives" on the Hill when America was being fed the line, "This war will pay for itself."?
How did that work out for us again???
How long will our kids be paying for that little bit of "strategery"?
Why no complaints about that little bit of fiscal irresponsibility?
Oh... but that made us sooo much safer didn't it?

And these are the same people calling liberals lemmings... yet they've been led to believe that modernizing schools, improving education, healthcare coverage, and environmental protection are a "liberal agenda".

jp,michigan   February 12th, 2009 11:52 am ET

I sure do hope the representatives of the American people , Republican and Democrat, take the time to REALLY read the stimulus bill. My question is , what does 30 million for a mouse habitat in San Francisco do to stimulate the economy? President stated, " There would be no pork or earmarks in the stimulus bill". So Pelosi just does what ever she wants. As a American voter, I don't feel good about this so call stimulus package. If the House democrats want more money for education, I know where the can find an extra 30 million.

the idiot   February 12th, 2009 11:46 am ET

Do you think the $4 billion for ACORN is enough. They have three more elections to steal in the next 4 years and George Soros might not have enough money.

SueB   February 12th, 2009 11:43 am ET

If the agreement represents a deal everyone can live with, why is the House postponing voting for at least a day? Too many Dems afraid of getting booted in next election by their very angry constituents? Pelosis let 11 from conservative leaning districts vote no the last time. Maybe the others who wanted to vote no last time but couldn't get her permission are being a bit more vocal this time.

Proud American   February 12th, 2009 11:39 am ET

Thanks for not listening to the American public...who put you in office.....and screwing our future with this pork plate. We'll make sure you hear us, all of you liberal idiot democrats...come next election...payback's for you are coming, in the form of unemployment.

Carl from Texas   February 12th, 2009 11:33 am ET

Fact Check time because I'm sick of all this

Most true Republicans HATE Limbaugh.

Most liberals think all Republicans think like Bush and Limbaugh. WRONG!!!!!

George Bush claims he is a conservative, but has spent more money than any other president. The expansion of Medicare was the biggest spending plan since LBJ and FDR.

For you democrats, all you have is the "republican" word and tie it to half this country and divide us. You really have no idea what you are talking about right now.

You claim "deregulation" but the government grew more under Bush than any other president. Amazing concept I know.

I, for one, am sick of it. What 99% of the ridiculous CNN posts on here say, are complete trash and lies.

I suggest you keep quiet about the "8 years" and learn economics for yourself.

MAYBE... just MAYBE... you may have a clue as to why we are really in this mess.

Greg Pottstown, Pa.   February 12th, 2009 11:33 am ET

Clearly it was more important to give Obama this bill when he wanted it than it was to produce a bill that had a chance of working. When the people find out what is in this bill they will not be happy. Notice the words Obama uses, create or save 3.5 million jobs. Is it possible to prove that a bill saved jobs. If things stay the same as they are Obama will just say they stayed the way they are because I saved all the jobs that would have been lost. Obama has given himself some big shoes to fill and If this economy is not in better shape than it was during any part of the bush admin he has failed in my eyes. Keep in mind the lowest unemployment rate in American history was during the bush years.

Kellie Sorrell   February 12th, 2009 11:32 am ET

I have the perfect plan. Quit trying to save the big guy. We the consumers are where this package should begin. $800 tax credit? You might think that $13 dollars extra a week does something – it only buys a gallon of milk and loaf of bread. Not even a tank of gas for most of us. Help us by giving us an amount that matters at one time. $10000 for single no children, $20000 for married and single with children, and 5000 for elderly. This will pay off alot of their credit card debt or other debt, will give the money to the lenders (banks, etc) and give the consumer more money in their pockest and the confidence to spend more money on cars and homes.

RealityKing   February 12th, 2009 11:31 am ET

The 800B spendilous package, plus this years 1T budget deficit, plus the additional 350B TARP funds, will push America's national debt from 10.3T(68%GDP under W) to 12.5T(89%GDP, 1st year under O). With much more to come.

The great American shrinkage factor.., change you can believe in.

A Really Conservative Realist   February 12th, 2009 11:31 am ET

Pelosi and Reid are communists. That's a fact.

NO AMOUNT OF SPENDING CAN HELP OUR ECONOMY WHEN THE DOLLARS GO TO THOSE WHO CAN"T BOLSTER THE ECONOMY IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE ONLY ANSWER IS TO LOWER GAINS AND CORP RATES. THIS BILL STINKS OF COMMUNISM. THANKS BARAK MARX.

NOT THE KINDA GUY TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO, BUT I TOLD YOU SO   February 12th, 2009 11:26 am ET

disgracefull!!! All this will do is extend the misery. Leave the economy alone, you libs have done enough damage. To all the liberal blockheads out there who wrongly believe that this will help and think the conservative way is wrong, i point to the example of Texas and California, our 2 biggest states (to all those in college who dont know that).Texas, the conservative model, booming with a budget surplus and California, the liberal model, with a budget deficit. It is so bad in cali that people will not even get back their state income tax refunds, its disgracefull. That is the way we are headed with this stimulus bill, its dosnt work it will never work.

Eugene   February 12th, 2009 11:26 am ET

This process revives the old truism: the more you approve of laws and sausages, the less you should know about how they are produced.

mjm   February 12th, 2009 11:23 am ET

Great! Now all we need to do is find $789 Billion.

Are we going to print it or barrow it?

If we barrow it, who owns us? China? Saudi Arabia?

Jim   February 12th, 2009 11:16 am ET

A lot has been written about this "stimulus" and how it is going to work wonders for this country and get us up and going again. But, put this in perspective of you own household.

If you burden yourself with debt, do you go and write more debt to get out??? No. You work to get your debt paid off. You work to get out of debt and that means some time of doing without.

Our politicians though, see this as a way to spend more money, the majority of which is for pet projects and spending that will do nothing to improve this economy. It will do nothing to help those in need of help. It will do nothing to improve the economic outlook in this country.

Before this goes into law, WE THE PEOPLE need to know what is going to be spent, when it is going to be spent and have a say if that is what is actually wanted.

matt   February 12th, 2009 11:11 am ET

I love how they are trying to say that everyone is agreeing on this bill....NO, IT is ALL DEMOCRATS and THREE LOUSY Republicans in the senate and NO Republicans in congress. Tell the truth CNN.

katiec   February 12th, 2009 11:06 am ET

Hopefully, now our country can get on the road to rebuilding. With numerous jobs being lost daily we must act for the welfare of the
American people.
And, hopefully, one day these politicians will work together and
put our country and it's survival first.

dittoheads and Handbaskets   February 12th, 2009 11:01 am ET

Its sad that the South is still trying to bring back slavery with their "Right to work Act".What they mean is a "Right to be a Slave Again Act".

CHANGE we need   February 12th, 2009 10:59 am ET

This IS crunch time for the House and Senate...and, unfortunately, they are more concerned about their personal objectives rather than the national objectives.

VOTERS...REMEMBER THEIR DEDICATION TO SELF VS. NATION WHEN YOU ENTER THE BALLOT BOOTH!! VOTE YOUR CONCIENCE WHEN THEY WERE NOT VOTING WITH THEIRS!!!

NEL E BELL   February 12th, 2009 10:57 am ET

ALL ONE PARTY DOES THIS REMIND ANYONE OF THE LAST 7YRS UNDER BUSH. OK SO 2004 THE CHANGE CAME TO TOWN BUT WHERES THE CHANGE, HUMMM. LEFTIES ARE RUNNING THE SHOW AND WE ARE STILL ON THE LOSING END OF THE MONEY TRAIN. I HOPE THERE IS A PLAN B, PLAN A, MAY DELIVER A 24 MONTH BOOM BUT THE END RESULT MAYBE A THUD IN THE 3&4TH YEAR.

chris   February 12th, 2009 10:55 am ET

reid and pelosi make me sick and you ding bat democrats that actualy follow them make me sick for the country and im serving right now it actualy makes me sad to see the constitution i protect get crapped on by socialist and unconctitutional policies becuase you poor liberals cant earn a living for yourselves and want a wellfair state DISGUSTING

Mike, Syracuse NY   February 12th, 2009 10:51 am ET

This will go much faster if they tie Pelosi to her chair and duct tape her mouth shut.

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