House Passes Stimulus Package

The House voted for an $819 billion economic recovery package, or the American Recovery and Investment Act. Not one Republican voted for the package, and all but 11 Democrats voted for it. The package contains plenty of money for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Both are desperately needed to fight climate change. Over three million jobs will be created over the next two years as a result of the package. Considering the amount of jobs lost since last fall, that is good news.

Speaking about the package, Obama said, "I hope that we can continue to strengthen this plan before it gets to my desk. But what we can't do is drag our feet or allow the same partisan differences to get in our way.

"We must move swiftly and boldly to put Americans back to work, and that is exactly what this plan begins to do," he said.

Who are the eleven Democrats who voted against the package? Here is my "Democrat Hall of Shame" for the month:

Allen Boyd (FL)

Bobby Bright (AL)

Jim Cooper (TN)

Brad Ellsworth (ID)

Parker Griffith (Al)

Paul Kanjorski (PA)

Frank Kratovil (MD)

Walt Minnick (ID)

Collin Peterson (MN)

Heath Shuler (NC)

Gene Taylor (MS)