Comparison of House and Senate Plans and my thoughts

This chart from the Kansas City Star this morning.. I think from an AP story lays out the differences between the House and the Senate bills. It looks like a pretty good chart.. I haven't really examined it close, close..but from what I have read of it I would say it is pretty accurate.

There are some pretty big differences, and there are some small differences. I just hate that the Dems had to give into the Reps for anything. I hate that we lost the PR war in the media. We as a country have let our media be taken over by the stupid republicans over the last 8 years and are have become too cowed by this mantra of "if you speak out you are not patriotic" and it has won again. We have to get our Democratic congress people to understand we don't have to tolerate that any longer.

Finally the President spoke out this week, but it shouldn't be him doing it. It should be Reid doing it.. but he is such a mealy mouth. We need to start shouting it for them all. The only way to do it is through out phone calls, emails and our blogs. Even letters to the editors of the newspapers would be great. Anything to let our voices be heard.

I read in an article this week, that for every phone call progressives are making to the congressional offices, conservatives are making 100. Now I don't know if that is true... but if it is, that is a startling number. But it shows you what is going on. No wonder the stupid republicans are standing up saying people are against this plan.

Of course we don't know what they are saying in those phone calls, but even so, if that many people are calling into the Republicans it doesn't sound good, does it?? Unless they are all calling to tell them to STFU....lol We can only wish on that. But if they are it didn't work.

Anyway.. here is the chart.. it is worth reading. The only thing I hope is that the House passes this quickly then comes right back with another bill that adds to it. That should really set everyone's hair on fire and get them going...lol

Comparison of economic stimulus plans


Here’s a comparison of key features in the $780 billion stimulus plan drafted by Senate Democrats and moderate Republicans with the $820 billion House version. Debt costs would add about $350 billion over 10 years.

Spending
AID TO POOR AND UNEMPLOYED

•Senate: $47 billion for extended jobless benefits through Dec. 31, increased $25 a week, and to provide job training; $16.5 billion to increase food stamp benefits 12 percent and issue a one-time bonus payment; $3 billion in temporary welfare.

•House: Comparable extension of unemployment insurance; $20 billion to increase food stamp benefits 14 percent; $2.5 billion in temporary welfare; $1 billion for home heating subsidies and $1 billion for community action agencies.

DIRECT PAYMENTS

•Senate: $17 billion for one-time $300 payments to Social Security recipients, poor people on Supplemental Security Income, and veterans receiving disability and pensions.

•House: $4 billion for a one-time additional SSI payment of $450 for individuals and $630 for married couples.

INFRASTRUCTURE

•Senate: $46 billion for road projects, including $27 billion for highway construction and repair and $11.5 billion for mass transit and rail projects; $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; $5 billion for public housing improvements; $6.4 billion for clean water projects.

•House: $47 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway construction and repair and $12 billion for mass transit, including $7.5 billion for equipment; $31 billion to build and repair federal buildings and other public infrastructures; $12.4 billion in rail and mass transit projects.

HEALTH CARE

•Senate: $21 billion to subsidize insurance for the unemployed under COBRA; $87 billion to help states with Medicaid; $22 billion to modernize information technology systems; $10 billion for health research and construction of National Institutes of Health facilities.

•House: $40 billion to subsidize COBRA or provide health care through Medicaid; $87 billion to help states with Medicaid; $20 billion to modernize health information technology systems; $4 billion for preventive care; $1.5 billion for community health centers; $420 million to combat avian flu; $335 million to combat AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.

EDUCATION

•Senate: $79 billion in state fiscal relief to prevent cuts in aid and provide block grants; $25 billion to school districts to fund special education and the No Child Left Behind law; $14 billion to boost the maximum Pell Grant by $400 to $5,250; $1.1 billion for Head Start.

•House: Similar aid to states and school districts; $21 billion for school modernization; $16 billion to boost the maximum Pell Grant by $500 to $5,350; $2 billion for Head Start.

ENERGY

•Senate: About $40 billion for programs, focused on efficiency and renewable energy, including $2.9 billion to weatherize homes; $4.6 billion for fossil fuel research; $6.4 billion to clean up nuclear weapons production sites; $11 billion for a “smart electricity grid”; $8.5 billion to subsidize loans for renewable energy projects; and $2 billion for advanced battery systems.

•House: $28.4 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy, including $6.2 billion to weatherize homes; $11 billion to fund a “smart electricity grid.”

SECURITY

•Senate: $4.7 billion for homeland security, including $1 billion for airport screening equipment and $800 million for port security.

•House: $1.1 billion, including $500 million for airport screening equipment.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

•Senate: $3.5 billion in grants to state and local law enforcement to hire officers and purchase equipment.

•House: Similar.

Taxes
NEW TAX CREDIT

•House: About $145 billion for $500-per-worker, $1,000-per-couple tax credits in 2009, beginning in June, and in 2010. Americans who don’t make enough money to pay federal income taxes could file returns next year and receive checks. Individuals making more than $75,000 and couples making more than $150,000 would receive reduced amounts.

•Senate: The credit would phase out at incomes of $70,000 for individuals and couples making more than $140,000 and phase out more quickly, reducing the cost to $140 billion.

CHILD CREDITS

•House: $18.3 billion for greater access to the $1,000-per-child tax credit for the working poor in 2009 and 2010. Under current law, workers must make at least $12,550 to receive any portion of the credit. The change eliminates the floor.

•Senate: Sets a new income threshold of $8,100 to receive any portion of the credit, reducing the cost to $7.5 billion.

EARNED INCOME

•House: $4.7 billion to increase the earned-income tax credit, which provides money to the working poor, for families with at least three children.

•Senate: Same.

COLLEGE CREDIT

•House: $13.7 billion to provide a $2,500 expanded tax credit for college tuition and related expenses for 2009 and 2010. The credit is phased out for couples making more than $160,000.

•Senate: Reduces amount refunded to families that pay no income taxes, lowering the cost to $13 billion.

HOMEBUYER CREDIT

•House: $2.6 billion to repeal a requirement that a $7,500 first-time homebuyer tax credit be paid back over time for homes purchased from Jan. 1 to July 1, unless the home is sold within three years. The credit is phased out for couples making more than $150,000.

•Senate: Doubles the credit to $15,000 for homes purchased for a year after the bill takes effect, increasing the cost to $35.5 billion.

HOME ENERGY

•House: $4.3 billion for expanded credit to homeowners who make their homes more energy efficient. Homeowners could recoup 30 percent of the cost up to $1,500 of numerous energy-efficient projects.

•Senate: Same.

UNEMPLOYMENT

•House: No similar provision.

•Senate: $4.7 billion to exclude from taxation the first $2,400 a person receives in unemployment compensation benefits in 2009.

BONUS DEPRECIATION

•House: $5 billion to extend a provision allowing businesses buying equipment to speed depreciation.

•Senate: Similar.

MONEY-LOSING COMPANIES

•House: $15 billion to allow companies to use current losses to offset profits made in the previous five years, instead of two.

•Senate: Allows companies to use more losses to offset previous profits, increasing the cost to $19.5 billion.

CONTRACTORS

•House: Repeals a law that takes effect in 2011, requiring government agencies to withhold 3 percent of payments to contractors to help ensure they pay their tax bills. Repealing the law would cost $11 billion over 10 years.

•Senate: Delays the law from taking effect until 2012, reducing cost to $291 million.

ENERGY PRODUCTION

•House: $13 billion to extend tax credits for renewable energy production.

•Senate: Same.

BONDS

•House: $36 billion to subsidize locally issued bonds for school construction, teacher training, development and infrastructure.

•Senate: $22.8 billion to subsidize locally issued bonds for school construction, development and infrastructure.

BANK CREDIT

•House: Repeal a Treasury provision that allowed firms that buy money-losing banks to use more of the losses as tax credits to offset the profits of the merged banks. The change would increase taxes on the merged banks by $7 billion over 10 years.

•Senate: Same.

AUTO SALES

•House: No similar provision.

•Senate: $11 billion to make interest payments on most auto loans and sales tax on cars deductible.