Above: President Obama, with Vice President Joseph
R. Biden Jr., signed the $787 billion stimulus bill at the Denver
Museum of Nature and Science on Tuesday. (Ruth Fremson/
The New York Times)
NYT
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: February 17, 2009
DENVER — President Obama has not ruled out a second stimulus package, his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said on Tuesday, just before Mr. Obama signed his $787 billion recovery package into law with a statement that it would “set our economy on a firmer foundation.”
The president said he would not pretend “that today marks the end of our economic problems.”
“Nor does it constitute all of what we have to do to turn our economy around,” Mr. Obama said at the signing ceremony in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. “But today does mark the beginning of the end, the beginning of what we need to do to create jobs for Americans scrambling in the way of playoffs.”
Mr. Gibbs, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on the way to Denver, said, “I think the president is going to do what’s necessary to grow this economy.” While “there are no particular plans at this point for a second stimulus package,” he added, “I wouldn’t foreclose it.” Read More.
ABC News
Administration Forges Ahead With Measures to Fix Ailing Auto and Housing Industries
By DAVID MUIR
Feb. 16, 2009
Fresh off his victory on the stimulus plan, President Obama will push forward this week with other aspects of his administration’s plans to jumpstart the economy.
The president’s economic push begins Tuesday, when he travels to Denver to formally sign the $787 billion stimulus package.
Within two weeks, the bill will deliver $54 billion to states to help save the jobs of police officers, teachers and other public employees.
Another $150 billion will go toward infrastructure projects, to build highways and schools. Construction on some of the projects designated in the bill could begin as early as June 1.
Also in June, the stimulus package will bring a change to workers’ paychecks, with a tax cut that will give the average American $13 back each week.
With the stimulus package ready for signing, the Obama administration is turning to the next major economic hurdle: what to do with the troubled automakers. Read More.