(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on February 9, 2009.)
The Senate agreed on an $827 billion economic stimulus package late Friday and will resume consideration of the measure today. The bill is expected to be approved by a 60-40 vote tomorrow, according to Senate majority leaders.
The Senate’s version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (S. 1) proposes $46 billion for transportation, including $27 billion for highways and bridges, and $11.5 billion for mass transit and rail projects, according to several newspapers. The $819 billion version passed by the House (H.R. 1) proposes $47 billion for transportation, including $27 billion for highways and bridges, and $12.4 billion for mass transit and rail projects.
The House and Senate are expected to begin debating a combined bill later this week.
Meanwhile, Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Saturday announced they negotiated a bipartisan agreement on an amendment to S. 1 that would reduce the total cost of the package to $780 billion and provide $42 billion for transportation projects.
“This bipartisan agreement … fuels two powerful engines: major tax cuts for the middle class, and targeted investments in American infrastructure and job growth,” said Nelson in a prepared statement. “It also pares back $110 billion of spending that didn’t belong in the bill.”