Sen. Snowe: Stimulus Must Be Slimmed Down

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Washington Unplugged

(CBS)

On today's edition of CBSNews.com's "Washington Unplugged," Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe told CBS News' Bob Schieffer that a "range" of items must be removed from the stimulus bill before she would consider voting for it.

Snowe cited funding for the national park service, the census bureau, cleaning up abandoned mines and providing funding for the US Marshals service, among other items.

"I mean, the list goes on," she said. "Those are issues that otherwise should be an appropriate part of the budget process and the annual review but not incorporated in the stimulus package that will do little to ignite economic activity."

Snowe noted that she is "supportive of a stimulus package" under the right conditions. Along with Sen. Susan Collins, Snowe, a moderate, is seen as the Republican most likely to support the bill and help Senate Democrats achieve the 60-vote block they need to avoid a Republican filibuster.

"I want to vote for a package," she said. "I think we are close to being able to do that with some changes, because at the end the worst mistake we could make is to pass a package that has virtually no impact on the economy."

She also discussed her meeting with President Obama Wednesday to discuss the bill.

"Well it was very informal," said Snowe. "It was just actually the two of us. I think that is the first time I have ever been in the Oval Office with just the president – he had no staff present. We had a very informal conversation. He is very approachable. It was easy to discuss the issues."

"He was just making his points about how important it was to pass this package in a timely fashion," she continued. "He understood that there were concerns, he wanted to know what they were."

"So it was sort of laid back, and he's very easy to talk to in that sense and cordial," she said.

Watch the full, fifteen-minute episode of "Washington Unplugged" below. It also includes an interview with Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad from North Dakota as well as a roundtable with CBS News Chief Political Consultant Marc Ambinder and Politico.com White House reporter Nia-Malika Henderson.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by antoniof123 February 9, 2009 11:41 AM EST: Snowe & Collins & Spector made the price of their support a cut to unemployment benefits for those hurting the most for Republican policies.

Shouldn''''t the Republicans have to pay reparations for *** the American citizen for 8 years?

Posted by Mcliar at 05:15 PM : Feb 07, 2009

I don''t think the GOP have any brains they don''t seem to get it. Those people out of work are voters and they are really pissed at the GOP.

Looks like you will see a generation of Democrats in power. Oh well what they say is true you can''t teach a old dog (elephant) new tricks.; Reply to this comment


by midlifevoter February 8, 2009 5:01 AM EST: If you try to launch the Space Shuttle without enough fuel, it fails to achieve orbits and falls back to Earth. The economic resurection of this country is the same. Going skimpy on stimulus makes the entire effort a waste.

The objective for our economic stimulus needs clarity for many. We are trying to become an export nation again and produce something the world wants to buy from us in enough quantity that our dollar gains value and our government can operate with several successive years of budget surplus so we can repay our foreign national debt.

A nation of consumers who don''t save or invest and become a nation of tax takers, rather than tax payers calls nothing but economic hardship to itself.

Our way of life has to change. Greed is legal, but socialism is not the only way to defeat it.

Repaying debt at an accelerated pace and becoming a nation of savers and investors should be on everyone''s mind. The stimulus should be the vehicle and helps citizens repay their debts. Next years'' stimulus should be the vehicle that permits us to save and invest.; Reply to this comment


by liv549 February 7, 2009 9:23 PM EST: okay, well lets start with some of those tax cuts for the wealthier tier that the democrats put in to sweeten the deal and get of few Republicans to sign on. I realize that is the ONLY thing that the Republican party believe anymore but if they want to spend less money that seems like a good place to start.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 February 7, 2009 5:05 PM EST: "slim down" is Republican speak for diminshed effectiveness.

Just like the GOP Leader Rush Hudson Limbaugh blathered on his Conservative Radio Show "Obama must fail my friendthzzz".

The Republicans want the United States to contiune to fail under the same direction they''ve set and will not support any change.

"stay the course!"; Reply to this comment


by sickofpalin February 7, 2009 3:35 PM EST: Boys and Girls

If, in Feb and Mar, the economy sheds 1,000,000 jobs, just what will Obama do?

He will nationalize the banks, first.
Then he will do a second, FDR type program. It will make the current 730 billion look like chicken poopoo

The Republicans can chatter all they want.When the poopoo hits the fan come mid-April, 09, Obama will nationalize the banks and create a massive jobs program.

You saw it here first.; Reply to this comment


by nazdackster February 7, 2009 1:03 PM EST: The bill is garbage. I would cut it to $50 billion of fast action items that could be started immediately, then vote for the next step later. Then I would cut corporate federal taxes to zero for a while, then inch it up later. The effect would be virtually instantaneous and would not cost nearly as much as this 90% waste bill.; Reply to this comment


by misands February 7, 2009 3:24 AM EST: I must say that I have always liked Sen. Snowe. She strikes me as one of the few people in Congress with a brain and a genuine desire to do the right thing. She is more conservative than I am, but her intentions always seem sincere. The Democrats would be wise to work real close with her (which is why Obama met with her alone in the Oval office)to help make sure this package is an honest attempt to jump-start this hideous economy and not as a vehicle to appease special intrest groups.; Reply to this comment


by samthetvcat February 6, 2009 11:15 PM EST: ---"Women come to the task having been conditioned to walk softly but wield their power just the same"---

That''s a quote from my favorite book of all-time Nine and Counting referring to Sen. Snowe''s philosophy of negotiating bipartisan resolutions.

She sounds SO fair and reasonable, but in reality she''s playing serious hardball folks! Don''t be fooled - the package is already below the $800 billion threshhold Pres. Obama said was the minimum needed as advised by his economic team to make an impact. And the proportion of spending to tax cuts is like 55%/45% . . . that''s far more generous than the 58 to 41 ratio of representatives in the Senate who subscribe to the respective ideologies.

I''m on to you girlfriend! Please, Sen. Snowe enough with the party politics - time to vote yes for the bill . . . people are hurting!; Reply to this comment


by dnsallday February 6, 2009 11:05 PM EST: All Republicans should be rounded up and all sent away to some far away place never to seen or heard from again. Who needs Americans hypocrites like them?

Posted by masterballs2

*****************************************
Republicans are against any form of investing in our country or for the American People. They stay up at night worrying that they may end up with 10 cents less in their own greedy mitts.

They must be smart though. Look at how many submissive tools they have hoodwinked into giving them blind support and regurgitating what ever they say, no matter how delusional they sound.; Reply to this comment


by greeneyes222 February 6, 2009 9:36 PM EST: "Seems the Dems always are stuck fixing the economy after the fact. Just look at the History." --
Posted by bigloudbike

Honey, if you''re gonna quote history, you need to look back at all the history starting with Clinton. War? Roosevelt and LBJ. Economic troubles? Carter and Clinton.

It''s real convenient how loud you are and how little you know. There''s plenty of bad to go around.; Reply to this comment