House passes $819B stimulus bill

On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed an $819 economic stimulus bill, which includes billions of spending to better the lives of children.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment bill, while it passed, was seen as a defeat for new president Barack Obama, who wanted bipartisan support. No house Republicans voted for it. Some critics say little of the bill’s spending would be felt in the months to come: others say the $275 billion in tax cuts aren’t enough.

Included in the bill are $141.6 billion for education and $112.1 billion for health care. Specific programs include $20 billion for food stamps, $4.1 billion for preventative care, and $20 billion for electronic health records and other health information technologies.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass, albeit with more tax cuts. If passed, the bill could enact a wave of government-funded social programs not seen since the days of Franklin Roosevelt.