The House Appropriations Committee Jan. 21 approved major parts of the $825 billion economic stimulus package sought by Democrats.
The spending package the panel approved includes billions of dollars for upgrading roads, bridges and energy grids, as well as for putting more police on the streets and expanding high-speed Internet services.
"I'm sure that none of you are happy with the cost; neither am I, but the cost has to be measured against the size of the problem," said Rep. David Obey, the committee's chairman. "We face the most dangerous economic collapse since the '30s."
Even if the package is enacted, Obey warned that Congress could be forced to act again if the economy doesn’t get out of its slump.
The panel approved an amendment requiring U.S.-made steel be used in construction projects financed by the new spending and another pushing higher wages for workers on such projects. The lawmakers also expanded funding of emergency food aid as more people struggle to make ends meet in the worsening economy.
By a partisan vote of 35-22, the committee approved $358 billion in spending that would be included in the huge plan.
President Obama wants the plan enacted by mid-February. Obama and his fellow Democrats in Congress must overcome Republican concern about massive new programs that could swell the federal government and deficit.
Republicans on the panel unsuccessfully sought to cut about one-third of that spending or shift some of it to infrastructure projects.
Republicans have criticized the spending in particular, questioning whether projects to fund the National Endowment for the Arts or to restore the National Mall in Washington would boost the economy and whether jobs would be created quickly.
"Are we fostering job creation and economic stimulus or are we simply growing the size of government?" said Rep. Jerry Lewis of California, the top Republican on the appropriations panel. "I don't question the urgency of this package, I question the priorities and its price tag."
