Obama heads to Florida to rally stimulus support
February 10, 2009
Obama heads to Florida to rally stimulus support
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fresh from his first White House news conference, U.S. President Barack Obama hits the road on Tuesday to rally support for a huge economic stimulus plan among Americans hit by the deepening recession.
Obama, who for days has urged the U.S. Congress to pass a more than $800 billion spending and tax-cutting bill, was set to travel to Florida, a state that has been struck especially hard by the economic downturn.
While he travels, the U.S. Senate is scheduled to hold a final ballot on the stimulus bill, now priced at $838 billion, at 12:00 p.m. EST and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner plans to unveil a highly anticipated bank rescue strategy at 11:00 a.m. (1600 GMT).
If the bill passes as expected, the Senate and the House of Representatives will enter final negotiations on a compromise, with Obama arbitrating disputes. The House’s version was priced at $819 billion.
The massive package is an important milestone for the new president, a Democrat, who wants a finished product on his desk by February 16. His roadshow this week, which included a stop in Indiana on Monday, is meant to illustrate the importance of the job creation measures it contains for average Americans.
Obama says the bill is crucial to avoid economic catastrophe.
Republicans have criticized it for having too many spending projects and not enough tax cuts, but Obama showed little patience for their arguments, emphasizing in Monday’s news conference that a Republican-controlled government oversaw rocketing U.S. debt and the onset of recession.
“It’s a little hard for me to take criticism from folks about this recovery package after they’ve presided over a doubling of the national debt,” Obama said on Monday night.
“I’m not sure they have a lot of credibility when it comes to fiscal responsibility.”
Obama will hold a town hall meeting-style event in Fort Meyers, Florida in a throwback to last year’s political campaign. The state’s Republican governor, Charlie Crist, who was a vocal supporter of Sen. John McCain in the 2008 election, will introduce Obama at the event.
“I am eager to welcome President Obama to the Sunshine State as he continues to work hard to reignite the US economy,” Crist said in a statement released by the White House.
“Any attempts at federal stimulus must prioritize job creation and targeted tax relief for small business owners.”
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