February 05, 2009 10:22 PM UTC

Udall, Bennet, Moderates Scalpel Stimulus

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• by: Colorado Pols

As the Pueblo Chieftain reports:

It may be the most expensive surgery in history as a bipartisan group of senators, including Colorado Sen. Mark Udall, is working behind closed doors to cut some of the fat out of the $885 billion stimulus bill being debated this week in the Senate.

Udall is working with the group headed by Sens. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, to try to eliminate spending amendments that will not produce new jobs within the next year.

Both Democratic and Republican senators have complained the massive spending bill is not focused on job-creating programs.

On Tuesday, Udall and newly appointed Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., both backed an amendment to spend an additional $25 billion on highway and infrastructure projects – responding to a vocal complaint from some lawmakers that the stimulus plan doesn’t have enough money for “shovel ready” construction projects across the nation. That amendment fell short of the 60 votes it need to be added to the stimulus package, although it received a majority, 58-39.

Udall and Bennet won’t hurt themselves trying to bring some focus to the stimulus bill, even if they’re not completely successful. There is a growing consensus that the bill needs some nonessential programs cut–or at least moved out of the stimulus package into regular appropriations bills, and the focus of the stimulus returned to projects that will result in…well, economic stimulus.

The Chieftain listed a few of Udall’s recent proposed stimulus amendments, check them out after the jump. Is he splitting the difference to your liking?

Udall, newly elected to the Senate, has introduced several amendments of his own, but it is uncertain whether the Senate Democratic leadership will allow them to be considered. His amendments would:

– Require governors to certify that any federal funds allocated for infrastructure projects in that state would create jobs and improve the local economy.

– Dedicate $2.9 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs that would retrofit residential and commercial buildings. The House stimulus bill has a similar amount dedicated to that program.

– Prioritize the $650 million in the legislation for the wildfire prevention to states hard hit by bark beetle infestation to pay for removing the diseased trees and other wildfire fuel. n Dedicate $2 billion to federal water pollution control projects. Udall said there are pollution-control projects in Colorado alone totaling $360 million.