$819 trillion is a lot of money, $819 billion is chump change

If you thought that the $700 billion stimulus package that was passed by congress a few months ago was a big chunk of change, just wait until you hear what President Obama has cooking up. President Obama's "stimulus package number 2" is going to cost the country about $819 billion.

Today the US House of Representatives passed Obama's $819 billion economic stimulus package, and it is going to be voted upon in the senate next week. All 177 Republicans in the House voted against the stimulus package in addition to 11 Democrats, while 244 Democrats voted in favor of the bill to get it passed. President Obama is hopeful that by mid-February the bill will be sitting on his desk ready to be signed into law.

It is without doubt that before the bill is sitting on the President's desk it will go through some major tweaks, especially made by Congressional Republicans. Republicans feel that the bill does not concentrate enough on tax cuts, and is spending way too much for a risk that may not be worth the reward. Republican Representative Roscoe Bartlett from Maryland challenged President Obama's stimulus package, saying "Mr. President, I think our obsessive borrowing has fully mortgaged my kids and my grandkids, now we're working on mortgaging my two great-grandkids". He went on to say "I think it's more than a little bit selfish to try to solve our economic problems which we created by burdening future generations yet to be born".

Obama and the majority of Democrats are trying to assure the American people that this stimulus package will be well worth the money, every cent of it. They say that the stimulus package will not only boost our economy, but it will also create 3 million new jobs. The majority of the $819 billion is going to domestic issues such as rebuilding our schools, fixing our roads, bridges, and highways, providing health care for people who can't afford it, alternative energy production, as well as tax cuts.

President Obama, his administration, and the 111th Congress have some major work ahead of them, challenging work. I am hopeful that this chunk of change will help get our economy back on track and put Americans back to work. Let's hope and pray that both of these challenges can be met.