Chet Edwards For Congress

January 29, 2008

House Approves Economic Recovery Plan

KWTX TV Waco

The House has overwhelmingly passed a $146 billion stimulus package that would speed rebates to most taxpayers. The plan was approved 385-35, after little debate.

It would send rebates of between $600 and $1,200 to anyone with at least $3,000 in income. Congressional leaders want to send the measure to President Bush by Feb. 15, but the bill faces a murky future in the Senate.

There, both Democrats and Republicans want a larger package that includes billions of dollars for senior citizens and the unemployed. The Senate plan would also send checks to the richest taxpayers, who wouldn't get rebates under the House version of the bill. The divergent plans could slow passage of the bill.

Some lawmakers from both parties are calling for the House version to be passed in the Senate and sent directly to President Bush, saying that delays could hinder the bipartisan agreement.

Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, praised the measure. “This stimulus package gives our economy the quick jolt it needs by putting money directly back into the hands of the American people and giving small businesses critical tax cuts that create incentives for new jobs,” Carter said.

Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, also voted for the package. “This stimulus package, if passed into law quickly, could provide a much-needed boost to hard-working families and to our struggling national economy. It is an example of bipartisanship at its best, and I hope the Senate will move forward in the same spirit of good faith compromise for the good of our country,” Edwards said.