| Jamie Dupree |
Just Some of the Economic Stimulus Bill
What follows are a number of the spending projects included in the economic stimulus bill filed by Democrats late on Friday, which will be voted on in coming days by the House of Representatives.
This is not a complete list. Instead, it is an overview of some of the major items found in this bill in terms of spending. No judgments are made about the need for these expenditures.
That is up to you, the voter, and your elected members of the House and Senate.
You can find the full text of the bill, H.R. 1 at http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_hr1_text.pdf
Here is a sampling of what we found:
$44 million for construction, repair and improvements at US Department of Agriculture facilties
$209 million for work on deferred maintenance at Agricultural Research Service facilities
$245 million for maintaining and modernizing the IT system of the Farm Service Agency
$175 million to buy and restore floodplain easements for flood prevention
$50 million for "Watershed Rehabilitation"
$1.1 billion for rural community facilities direct loans
$2 billion for rural business and industry guaranteed loans
$2.7 billion for rural water and waste dispoal direct loans
$22.1 billion for rural housing insurance fund loans
$2.8 billion for loans to spur rural broadband
$150 million for emergency food assistance
$50 million for regional economic development commissions
$1 billion for "Periodic Censuses and Programs"
$350 million for State Broadband Data and Development Grants
$1.8 billion for Rural Broadband Deployment Grants
$1 billion for Rural Wireless Deployment Grants
$650 million for Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Program
$100 million for "Scientific and Technical Research and Services" at the National Institute of Standards And Technology
$30 million for necessary expenses of the "Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership"
$300 million for a competitive construction grant program for research science buildings
$400 million for "habitat restoration and mitigation activities" at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
$600 million for "accelerating satellite development and acquisition"
$140 million for "climate data modeling"
$3 billion for state and local law enforcement grants
$1 billion for "Community Oriented Policing Services"
$250 million for "accelerating the development of the tier 1 set of Earth science climate research missions recommended by the National Academies Decadal Survey."
$50 million for repairs to NASA facilities from storm damage
$300 million for "Major Research Insrumentation program" (science)
$200 million for "academic research facilities modernization"
$100 million for "Education and Human Resources"
$400 million for "Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction"
$4.5 billion to make military facilities more energy efficient
$1.5 billion for Army Operation and Maintenance fund
$624 million for Navy Operation and Maintenance
$128 million for Marine Corps Operation and Maintenance
$1.23 billion for Air Force Operation and Maintenance
$454 million to "Defense Health Program"
$110 million for Army Reserve Operation and Maintenance
$62 million for Navy Reserve Operation and Maintenance
$45 million for Marine Corps Reserve Operation and Maintenance
$14 million for Air Force Reserve Operation and Maintenance
$302 million for National Guard Operation and Maintenance
$29 million for Air National Guard Operation and Maintenance
$350 million for military energy research and development programs
$2 billion for Army Corps of Engineers "Construction"
$250 million for "Mississippi River and Tributaries"
$2.2 billion for Army Corps "Operation and Maintenance"
$25 million for an Army Corps "Regulatory Program"
$126 million for Interior Department "water reclamation and reuse projects"
$80 million for "rural water projects"
$18.5 billion for "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" research in the Department of Energy. That money includes:
$2 billion for development of advanced batteries
$800 million of that is for biomass research and $400 million for geothermal technologies
$1 billion in grants to "institutional entities for energy sustainability and efficiency"
$6.2 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program
$3.5 billion for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants
$3.4 billion for state energy programs
$200 million for expenses to implement energy independence programs
$300 million for expenses to implement Energy efficient appliance rebate programs including the Energy Star program
$400 million for expenses to implement Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Infrastructure Grants to States and Local Governments
$1 billion for expenses necessary for advanced battery manufacturing
$4.5 billion to modernize the nation's electricity grid
$1 billion for the Advanced Battery Loan Guarantee Program
$2.4 billion to demonstrate "carbon capture and sequestration technologies"
$400 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency (Science)
$500 million for "Defense Environmental Cleanup"
$1 billion for construction and repair of border facilities and land ports of entry
$6 billion for energy efficiency projects on government buildings
$600 million to buy and lease government plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles
$426 million in small business loans
$100 million for "non-intrusive detection technology to be deployed at sea ports of entry
$150 million for repair and construction at land border ports of entry
$500 million for explosive detection systems for aviation security
$150 million for alteration or removal of obstructive bridges
$200 million for FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter program
$325 million for Interior Department road, bridge and trail repair projects
$300 million for road and bridge work in Wildlife Refuges and Fish Hatcheries
$1.7 billion for "critical deferred maintenance" in the National Park System
$200 million to revitalize the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
$100 million for National Park Service Centennial Challenge programs
$200 million for repair of U.S. Geological Survey facilities
$500 million for repair and replacement of schools, jails, roads, bridges, housing and more for Bureau of Indian Affairs
$800 million for Superfund programs
$200 million for leaking underground storage tank cleanup
$8.4 billion in "State and Tribal Assistance Grants"
$650 million in "Capital Improvement and Maintenance" at the Agriculture Dept.
$850 million for "Wildland Fire Management"
$550 million for Indian Health facilties
$150 million for deferred maintenance at the Smithsonian museums
$50 million in grants to fund "arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn" through the National Endowment for the Arts
$1.2 billion in grants to states for youth summer jobs programs and other activities
$1 billion for states in dislocated worker employment and training activities
$500 million for the dislocated workers assistance national reserve
$80 million for the enforcement of worker protection laws and regulations related to infrastructure and unemployment insurance investments
$300 million for "construction, rehabilitation and acquisition of Job Corps Centers"
$250 million for public health centers
$1 billion for renovation and repair of health centers
$600 million for nurse, physician and dentist training
$462 million for renovation work at the Centers for Disease Control
$1.5 billion for "National Center for Research Resources"
$500 million for "Buildlings and Facilties" at the National Institutes of Health in suburban Washington, D.C.
$700 million for "comparative effectiveness research" on prescription drugs
$1 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
$2 billion in Child Care and Development Block Grants for states
$1 billion for Head Start programs
$1.1 billion for Early Head Start programs
$100 million for Social Security research programs
$200 million for "Aging Services Programs"
$2 billion for "Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology"
$430 million for public health/social services emergency funds
$2.3 billion for the Centers for Disease Control for a variety of programs
$5.5 billion in targeted education grants
$5.5 billion in "education finance incentive grants"
$2 billion in "school improvement grants"
$13.6 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
$250 million for statewide education data systems
$14 billion for school modernization, renovation and repair
$160 million for AmeriCorps grants
$400 million for the construction and costs to establish a new "National Computer Center" for the Social Security Administration
$500 million to improve processing of disability and retirement claims
$920 million for Army housing and child development centers
$350 million for Navy and Marine Corps housing and child development centers
$280 million in Air Force housing and child development centers
$3.75 billion in military hospital and surgery center construction
$140 million in Army National Guard construction projects
$70 million in Air National Guard construction projects
$100 million in Army Reserve construction projects
$30 million in Navy Reserve construction projects
$60 million in Air Force Reserve construction projects
$950 million for VA Medical Facilities
$50 million for repairs for military cemeteries
$120 million for a backup information management facility for the State Department
$98 million for National Cybersecurity Initiative
$3 billion for "Grants-in-Aid for Airports"
$300 million for Indian Reservation roads
$300 million for Amtrak capital needs
$800 million for national railroad assets or infrastructure repairs, upgrades
$5.4 billion in federal transit grants
$2 billion in infrastructure development for subways and commuter railways
$5 billion for public housing capital
$1 billion in competitive housing grants
$2.5 billion for energy efficiency upgrades in public housing
$500 million in Native American Housing Block Grants
$4.1 billion to help communities deal with foreclosed homes
$1.5 billion in homeless prevention activities
$79 billion in education funds for states
What others are saying
- Stimulus?70% of new jobs are generated by small business (426 million), vs. aid for displaced workers (1 billion)maybe if you helped small business they wouldn't be displaced. how does this make sense to anyone. Seems as though we want to support people being out of work instead of supporting business to put them back to work generating productivity and tax revenue.
- PORK! Put out the "CLOSED" sign at the pig troughIt's OUR MONEY folks, so let's keep it in OUR pockets. Do you all realize that if everyone who voted against that idiot obama (almost 60 million of us) refused to pay our 08 Federal Income Tax this April, we'd shut them down. That's right, a tax revolt. You are NOT going to take my hard-earned money and give it away to welfare slobs, illegal aliens, ACORN and big labor unions!
- I did not vote for "superman"You voted for him, he talks good sooo? How can so many buy into such crap..watch the video of his "promise." He wants to give social security numbers to illegals and they can get $1,000.00 EACH. Still think he's great?
- Something for everyone.....jobs and moneyIf you voted for Bush and Cheney and find this bill to be a terrible thing..........let's hear your genius of an idea. Like.........lets have a war, and kill a dicator and give billions of tax breaks to billionaires. Brilliant. Oh yes............I forgot..............no holds barred..........just let them sodomize us and the rest of the world!!!!!!!
- directed toward "Let's Get Going"Listen, It's not a contest. It's not like playing a game, where after you win you get to "Booyah!" in the other person's face. Whether you voted for the current president or not, truth is, he represents ALL americans. You are just feeding the fire that is consuming the country. The real fact is, that whether it were coming from the left, or right, this "stimulus" will fall far from short on delivering the jolt that we need to save the economy. It's an excuse to give funding to programs that have been shot down repeatedly in the house and senate, under the premise that we are in a time of crisis and we need to take action now. There is too much in this package that needs to be completely removed to even call it a "stimulus". When did Americans lose their ability to use common sense and instead follow and cheer on their political party like it was a football game? Wake up and realize, that if our football team loses, they go home and practice for next weeks game. If the government "loses" we all suffer.
- The GOP had its chance and decided to spend more than a few billion borrowed dollars destroying and then trying to rebuild Iraq. If the Republicans were so smart, why did they get their asses kicked so bad in the last election? Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way.
- stimulus ?OMG- this is absolutely horrifying. WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY !!!! What this really is- it's the ticket to a more balanced level of representation in two years! I just wish it didn't have to cost so much.
Separately, I'd like to also thank Jamie for his tireless work on this sort of ridiculousness. I'd also like to ask him (and I will some day when I get the chance) how we can get a better level of transparency with regard to who is putting these earmarks in these bills. I'm still waiting to hear who put the tax break for wooden arrows mfg. in the last bill....? - Fool me onceFool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I think that's what a lot of folks are missing this time. Are you really willing to just let them do it to you again because it's a new administration? You've got to be kidding! If we hadn't of been so scared the first time we might've seen what a load of crap it was but why let them do it again. Huh?
- Stimulus jokeThis is typical of our elected officials, no thinking just tax, tax, and spend spend. They absolutely care no more for the country, it is time to throw the bums out, and maybe even put them in jail, but you can't go to jail generally for stupidity.
- uh, where were you last year?so, I get it, this is packed with a lot of ridiculouse spending, but some (not all) of the spending has merit. I ask all the wah-wah we lost complainers out there, where the heck were you when Bush passed his free handout to all of his fat cat pals with no oversight on how they spent their billions- no problem you need a new corporate plane...sure what do we care, your rich you deserve it!!!??? Your only so vocal now on these forums about this crap becasue you are so sad your guy lost and now a week into this administration it is all HIS fault. Get a life.
- use of tax payers moneyI seem to recall the real reason for the inital revolution was taxation without representation. I believe that this is what we have right now. I do not believe I have much say in how the goverment is spending my tax dollars anymore.
- ThanksI would just love to tell all of the Congressmen who voted against this bill that we appreciate their continued support for the United States of America.
- This stinks!All this "stimulus" bill does is to repay the people who voted these clowns into office. A whole potload of campaign promises paid.
- Bailout billWell anyone with half a brain realized what the Dems would do. President Obama had the most liberal voting record in his slim 2 year Senate career. If you are surprised, please spend more time researching politics.
- Re: Comments so farTo those of you who think this is no different than what FDR did and that's a GOOD thing, you need to rethink your flawed public school education. FDR's policies lengthened and deepened the Depression. Read The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes....don't believe that book? use your own brain and simply look at the historical data and compare how long it took us to get out of the Depression versus the rest of the world. Us - 10 year, rest of the world about 1 and a half years. DUH! It was WWII that broke the Depression not FDR...he made it much , much worse. Take a look at Japan in the 90's who threw EIGHT massive stimulus packages at their failing economy at the time that did nothing but make it las...yep, about 10 years.
Some of you might have been better off during "Slick Willie's Reign" but guess what, try this...that was PRE 9/11 - a different time and a whole different world that we will never get back to in our lifetime... in case you didn't notice!! ... AND it isn't about you, its about what's best for the COUNTRY now and in the future. That will mean those who GET IT will understand that to do the right thing means we must be prepared and willing to lose everything in order to do the right thing and speak out no matter how unpopular it makes you. You can call for "being just a little open to new ideas " Matt, but some of us are thinking for ourselves...these are not NEW ideas, they are the same ideas that have been tried and have failed EVERY time they have been implemented. Study history recent and remote.
You know, there is such a thing as having so much of an "Open Mind" that your brains fall out! - It Ain't So BadCome on people - there's 647 pages to this bill - that's just a little over one billion per page - we got off easy.
WHO writes this stuff? 647 pages! Is there a "Stimulus Bill Template" in Word 2007? - stimulusWelcome to socialism voters of America. The people who caused the sub prime mess are now supposed to fix it. Assuming of course that they want to fix it and not just use it to gain power.
- What's the problem?They all seem pretty reasonable to me. This looks like a modern version of what FDR did to get us out of the Great Depression. That seemed to work okay. Besides, I don't know what rock you guys have been living under for the past 8 years but I can honestly say life was better for me during Slick Willie's reign... and I'm a card carrying Republican.
Sometimes you just have to admit that your way of thinking may be flawed and be just a little open to new ideas.
Please stop regurgitating everything Rush and Hannity (two fine Americans) say on their show. Try thinking for yourselves. - We are screwedThis is the perfect storm of Total democratic power and a panicked public. Its what they have been waiting for. The Freedom our fathers paid for in blood is gone.
- Take another lookMost of the jobs would be in the public sector. Many would be blue-collar jobs building and maintaining things: that's the major stimulus effect, getting money flowing in the economy again. Keeping people from falling out of the middle class. And then there's all the planning, design, supervision and billions in R&D.
I regret leaving my kids all that debt, but at least there will be an economy, less oil dependence; working roads, rails, communications; and the knowledge from all that R&D. And some contribution to reducing climate change. So maybe my children will be able to visit Cape Cod and south Florida. - Private Sector JobsAnd this adds jobs to the private sector in what way? Oh, yeah, somebody's only looking to add public sector jobs....duh...
- The New Deal II Going greenReads a bit like the New Deal Gored with
global warming madness. Where the hell are the jobs? Temps with shovels working
for contractors? It won't take the non mind cloned in government schools crowd long to realize President Obamuppet and friends represent change we can't afford to live with. The scent of pork will be permeating our globally warming environment for years to come. - stimulus billThis is the end of the american I love. Obama is turning american into a socialist country. There are people already trying to change the President's term to run so he can run for a third term. Can you spell Hugo Chavez? Mr. El President. I still can't get over how we let people who probably don't ever earn a living vote in this country. It's such a shame. I say we need to have a revolution and bring down the government. The people in charge are only looking out for their best interest not ours. Say goodbye to the middle class.
- STIMULUS INFOTHANKS FOR THE GOOD INFORMATION CAN SOMEONE STOP THIS NONSENSE
- AmazingThis is an amazing rip off. Most of this is all growth of government. I wonder if liberals are paying attention to all the defense spending in this, hypocrites.
And think for a minute those of you that know anything about the contracting and construction process for any level of government? Unless they suspend every current law and regulation on how these projects are bid and spent it will be years before tihs money gets anywhere near helping anyone.
One worthwhile line item was totally underfunded. We have a crisis for nurses and healthcare workers and they only spend $300mil on that. It should be one of the larger ones for workers to retrain who are losing their jobs. - MoneyAll I want is 2,5Million
- Apples to ApplesIn reading over this information and trying to wrap my brain around this kind of money, I have to be honest and say that it bothers me, however, I would like to see a list of what all the Bush administration spent and on exactly what! Let's compair apples to apples here and make a judgement based on facts!
- INSANEI have to agree with the fellow who comments that our children will be paying for this fiasco FOREVER. $150M for obstructive bridges? $300M for Amtrak capital needs? What does that have to do with my family & loved ones?
If someone will call the people to stand - I will stand/march against this pork. - Stimulus BillHow ridiculous can these elected officials be? We are giving away our country.. I guess they don't understand the "free enterprise" system. They should concentrate on the crooks that caused this.
- He's a budget wizardMuch of these are simple budget line items, paid in advance. I'll bet the farm that BHO will tout his ability to shear the budget when in reality cut items were paid in full under this bill! Slick.
- TAXESI SAY GIVE US THE MONEY, ABOUT ONE MILL PER HOUSEHOLD AN THEN WE CAN PAY OFF OUR DEBT,AN THEN YOU SEE THAT MONEY WE USE FOR THIS IS RECIRCULATED BACK THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
- stimulus packageYou have got to be kidding me!! Will I ever get kissed r just given the shaft. How can they get away with this? I know how to end it set term limits for all elected officials. this is just insame
- stupidI noticed we are spending more on transit grants, what ever that is, than on our housing problem.
- Jamie, where do we start?Where do we start in stopping this nonsense? Telling
your Congressman or President does nothing. They will always figure another way to siphon the money for their special interest. If i had the financial support
I would lead a several million people march and demand something be done or they should let someone who cares about this country and the people to take charge. The only thing most of them want is Power. Something needs to be done and Iam ready for real change. - a reply to otinPlease print your comment off and keep it somewhere safe for 5 years, then pull it out and re-read what you wrote. If this bill passes, you will understand the affect of this. But I'm sure it won't take 5 years for you to be affected by it.
- appreciate your workone comment you should use spell check
- The "Stimulus Bill"I have grave doubts that this country can long survive under the massive load of debt Congress continues to grow. How long will the American people stand for this gross mismanagement of public funds? God help us!
- Who's accountableJamie is there any way to see which members of Congress are responsible for the particulars of the bill? I'd personally like to find out if my representative is contributing to the pork.
- Economic Stimulus BillThere is not one thing in this stimulus bill that will help the average person get a job nor will it stimulate the average person to spend any money for things other than the bare essentials. I cannot understand how the American people can be so blind. Put money in the hands of people that pay the taxes so it can be spent to encourage economic growth for all businesses
- Where is........ my name in that list? I want in. Does anyone have the address to which I can write for my share of the spoils? Wait, perhaps I should just go up to DC and camp out there with a placard - maybe that will do it.
- 300 billion with a bI pulled the numbers into a spreadsheet and saw that these items add up to just a hair under $300 billion. And by hair I mean $27 million, which is barely enough to get Alex Rodriguez to play for your baseball team for a year.
- Tax Credits for Hiring DropoutsUnbelievably, the bill also calls for tax credits for employers who hire so-called "disconnected youth," defined as people between the ages of 16 and 25 who have neither attended school nor held a job in the past six months, and who lack basic employment skills. According to Rangel's Website, employers who hire these kids for at least 400 hours can claim a $2500 tax credit. So now it seems that to make yourself attractive to a potential employer, you have to drop out of school.
- Obama wants to destroy the middle classAll of this spending is sickening. It really looks as if Obama and the democrats plan on getting rid of the middle class.
Add to this Obama's letting California and 12 other states make stricter emissions rules which will force the car companies to pay billions to comply and that will get passed on to us (averaging 5K more per car) and you have it so now the middle class can not even afford a new car. - Stimulus packageThank you for all you do. Why can't the Republicans stand up and vote against this bill on behalf of the 57 million of us who voted for them?
- Say What?Thank you so much for breaking this down a little Jamie. This is what a stimulus plan is? Who comes up with this mashed up grouping of spending? This is a Growing the Government initiative - not a Stimulus Plan. I am so pleased that forever my children will be paying for this. Meanwhile, our retirement account has taken such a hit and SS will probably be defunct - we will be lucky to be eating pudding cups three times a day when we retire. By then we will probably be back to being thrown into a volcano when we become too old to be a viable, producing member of society. There is where they can save some cash!
I love America - but some days I don't like it very much. - Can't We Do Better?Is there no end to what the Democrats will spend money on? Scanning the list made me nauseous. When asked if these expenditures will fix the problem their simple answer is, "If we do not do anthing it will get worse". Studies has shown that by the time each layer of government get their cuts from pass through 10-15% of total dollars get to those that actually were actually targeted. What a crazy way to solve our problem. Let's have some smarts about how we fix these problems. There has to be some smart people out there that can shine some light on what is wrong and how to fix it.
- moneyIt doesn't matter what money is spent. The average American won't be affected. How much was spent in Iraq? My living situation has not changed. The greedy banks are what kills things, not the country spending money. People over react when it comes to the government spending money. I would rather them spend it on projects than give people that pay no income tax a tax return. I have just started a blog of my own. Check it out. www.wizardofotin.blogspot.com
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