House and Senate negotiators have reached a deal on a final version of a sweeping economic recovery package, budgeted at $789, the Los Angeles Times reported. The bill could be sent to the president for his signature by the end of the week.
Senate leaders said Feb. 11 that several House provisions were added to boost job creation, but adjusting tax provisions and scaling back the reach of some Medicaid funding trimmed the overall cost of the bill.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the final version "creates more jobs than the original Senate bill and spends less than the original House bill." The original House bill was valued at $819 billion; the cost of the Senate bill was estimated at $838 billion.
The bill appears to be headed for passage, the newspaper reported.
The House could vote on the package as early as Feb. 12, with the Senate following on Feb. 13, although a weekend vote remained a possibility.
Source: Los Angeles Times