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The Senate last night
cleared an economic stimulus package for
President Obama's desk totaling $787 billion in
spending and tax cuts aimed at creating 3.5
million jobs and jumpstarting the beleaguered
economy. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-NV) secured final passage of the legislation
when Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who returned to
Capitol Hill from his mother's memorial
services in Ohio, cast the 60th vote. (A
60-vote supermajority was needed because of
self-imposed
budgetary rules in the chamber.) As
expected, three Republicans crossed the aisle
-- Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, and Susan
Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine -- to push
the bill over the finish line. Ted Kennedy
(D-MA) was the only senator that did not cast a
vote. The final tally was
60 to 38.
The House voted to pass the
legislation earlier in the day without any
Republican support. Seven Democrats joined a
united Republican Caucus in voting against the
bill, which still cleared easily
246 to 183.
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