WASHINGTON (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden convened the first of what is expected to be a series of weekly stimulus plan implementation meetings Wednesday, saying it's critical to ensure that "the money that is spent is spent well."
The $787 billion package "is about creating and saving jobs now," Biden said. "We've got to make sure we hold as many people as possible accountable. (We need to) follow the money to make sure it's getting out there and is working."
Biden, who has been tasked with overseeing the distribution of stimulus funds, announced several fund disbursements, including $15 billion in Medicaid assistance and $10 billion to help make public housing more energy efficient.
Several Cabinet members attended the conference at the White House, including Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Former Interior Department Inspector General Earl Devaney, who has been tapped to head a new Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board, also attended.
The Transparency and Accountability Board was established by President Barack Obama to ensure that the stimulus package is spent in an open, efficient manner.
The "unprecedented spending" in the stimulus package, Obama said Monday, comes with an "unprecedented obligation" to avoid waste.
From CNN Politics
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don't forget to invite the KGB ...and nobody will mess with you.....
"""""""""""America the free"""""""""""again someday.....
That is new and better government...more work but worth it!
Some find fault with any continuing mentioning of Bush-Cheney, while criticism of Bush-Cheney and the problems inherited from them is still well justified, most of the continuing attention given there is to point out that the current Republican Party strongly and stubbornly supported Bush-Cheney and by every indication would like to return to that philosophy. Last night George Will made a statement that I think I quote accurately as, ‘President Obama wants to take it from the successful and give it to the unsuccessful’. When Republicans use narrow views such as that to criticize, yet they actually blindly and stubbornly supported the arrogant irresponsibility of Bush-Cheney, and then they advocate that they offer hope for the average American with having a real desire for bipartisan cooperation, as Bobby Jindal stated, yet they just follow a strong and united obstructionist policy that literally only faults, blocks and attempts to sabotage everything, they really instill no confidence and rather only generate contempt. It seems they always try to justify returning to more of the same concentration on Special Interests and a select few where they gave only apathy, the costs and an abundance of subterfuge to the many and that is totally unacceptable. Republicans now simply depend on rhetoric to deceive instead of deeds to believe.
why is there a black smudge on his forehead?
Hopefully they don't let the politicians pick and choose what parts of the package they take of the funds allocated to their areas.
The idea of Jindal not taking money for unemployment translates into him taking advantage of those people who are currently the most disadvantaged and letting them suffer for his own political aspirations.
Time for the rich to divvy up your future.
What's that dent in his head from????
Biden's Billion Dollar Bid, to control your lives.
I missed the speech, I was working late. But i did hear that Obama and his writers did very well.
Did he mention that much of the housing bubble could have been avoided and a good portion of the deficit paid off if we were taxing the gains, the profits, on the sale of people's homes? When homes appreciated $200,000 in California or Florida and were sold it to move to Texas, Utah, New Mexico etc. they brought cash to spend and that has driven up home prices everywhere. The local builders made huge profits with those cash laden shoppers from housing bubble states and local buyers could not compete for those new homes. Now the market has crashed and the locals who did not profit from the bubble will pay for those mistakes with increased taxes.
Taxing the Profit on the sale of a home should at least contribute to paying for this bailout and deficit spending just as it had a role in creating the real estate bubble!
Wow! that Jindal really did a bad job yesterday. Biden says wild stuff but at least it makes sense
Joe Biden is an idiot
Joe..if you're really not someone to mess with then it may be a good idea to reign in on Barbara Boxer who wants to ratify the UN measure that would essentialy take a parents right to parent, in the privacy of the family structure...This is going to blow up a huge balloon and has many many people very angry and upset.....As a retired child protecive worker at the State level even I can say this will go TOO FAR!
What is that on his forehead? Come on, get it together CNN.
You don't mess with Joe! Looks like he needs a Botox touch-up.
This is a great way for the Vice President to contribute. Every dollar and every cent must be accounted for. We do not want to repeat the fiasco of the "Bush Bail Out"!
I'm excited to see these stimulus package deals to get into action! Only a month in the office and he has done more than Bush did in 8 years to help the people.... oh, wait... he did help the people... the RICH people!
I have a name for your buddies dog mister..... Rifiki.... (friend) Swahili.
If they find one dollar not spent as intended they should send the offender to prison. I do not care if he is a governor or any other high official, they should be absolutely meticulous about how they spend the money and not try to reward their campaign contributors or use it for purpose it was not intended to be used.
Any official should be held accountable to highest degree. I get tired of hearing they were embarrassed enough already. They would be more than embarrassed if I was in charge. They would serve every day of the greatest time allowed for the offense
joe biden is a drfat dodger and a very small brained man.
Godspeed TEAM OBAMA, for if you are sucessful, we will have a once again great nation!!
Make an early example out of someone. That's the only way the political machine will act properly.
Mr. Prez – Wanna play with their brains?
Put some "Just say NO!" repugs on the panel too!
Sen. McCain (Mr. "No Earmarks" hisself) along with one or two of those southern obstructionists would be "bipartisian" don't ya think?
This way if the repugs want to critize how things get spent they'll look even more foolish than they already are...
This is like a fox watching the hen house-give me a break.
OH, there is nothing wrong with putting the fox in charge of the hen house!! Another great pick for an important task. Crazy Joe, just remember...if you throw caution to the wind, the same way you speak, this country's future will rest on YOUR shoulders.
...and if he screws it up, what does BO do?? Fire him??? Not a snowball's chance in Hades. Just pick the next in line, shrug the shoulders with the best image of Alfred E. Newman and say, "I screwed up...". Thanks, BO.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK VICE PRESIDENT. NOBODY GETS PAST JOE!