Wisconsin House delegation expected to vote along party lines on $825 billion stimulus

Talk about it

The U.S. House is expected to approve the $825 billion federal economic stimulus package today.

Wisconsin Democrats generally support the plan, which is said to create up to 4 million jobs as soon as possible.

House Appropriations Chairman U.S. Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., of Wausau calls it an honest effort to keep the economy from falling further.

But the state’s three Republicans don’t buy that – even after they met with President Obama Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., of Janesville said there was no negotiating – and Obama apparently assumed the meeting would not change his plan very much.

U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., of Memononee Falls says there’s no way he can support the bill – which the GOP says is loaded with lawmakers’ pet projects that won’t put people to work right away.

Ryan has said it will cause deficits that will require a huge tax increase in a couple years.

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., of La Crosse says the government will act quickly to create jobs, and its programs will end when they’re done.

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., of Milwaukee says it’s vital that taxpayers get the biggest bang for the buck.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., of Madison says it will provide billions in much-needed funding for Wisconsin and all the other states.

The state government expects around $3 billion. They’ve created a special agency to speed up project approvals. There are also a host of tax cuts.

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