Pelosi Expects To Unveil Stimulus Package Next Week

By Patrick O'Connor

(The Politico)  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expects to unveil an economic stimulus package shortly after her White House meeting with President Bush next Tuesday, a clear sign that leaders hope to complete the legislation before members' demands and lobbyists' requests weigh it down.

Pelosi told reporters Thursday morning that the package could be completed within 30 days. Her Republican counterpart, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio, echoed that sentiment during his own briefing minutes later. "It needs to happen quickly," the Republican leader said.

The two are scheduled to hold a conference call early Thursday afternoon with Bush and the top Democrat and Republican in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Boehner estimated the overall cost of the measure would be somewhere between $100 billion and $150 billion, but he would not get more specific, suggesting the final details remain in flux.

Pelosi and Boehner have both stressed the need for an immediate, targeted infusion of federal funds into the economy, likely in the form of a small tax rebate coupled with some slight investment incentives for small businesses and a modest dose of social welfare spending for the lowest-income families.