The Senate and House have chosen their individual conferees to work out the differences between the two versions of the Stimulus package. Read the rest of this entry »

The Senate passed a $838 billion stimulus package on Tuesday. The bill won support from three Republicans, Sens. Arlen Specter (PA), Susan Collins (ME) and Olympia Snowe (ME), to pass 61 – 37 in the upper chamber. The bill will now go to conference where both House and Senate representatives will have to work out differences and come up with one bill. Read the rest of this entry »

The Senate voted 61 – 36 to end debate and vote on the $838 billion stimulus package. Final passage is expected to be voted on Tuesday. Senate and House negotiators will have only a few days to resolve significant differences before the Presidents Day deadline set by Democratic leaders. Read the rest of this entry »

Last night the Senate approved an amendment offered by Senators Harkin and Specter which raised the level of funding ($3.5 billion) already provided to the NIH in the stimulus package by $6.5 billion. Under this amendment, the NIH would receive $10 billion for research, including more than $1.3 billion for NCI. Read the rest of this entry »

Former Senator Tom Daschle

Former Senator Tom Daschle, President Obama’s pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, formally withdrew his name from consideration today. Read the rest of this entry »