Obama Improving Stimulus based on Progressive Feedback

(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

I wrote about progressive criticism of the stimulus plan last week:

Sen. Harkin: Obama’s Plan looks like “trickle-down”; Summers: “Message Heard, Loud and Clear”  (also, an earlier version on docudharma: https://www.docudharma.com/show…

The message was heard and is being acted on.  Barack Obama and his administration-to-be has been listening to Democrats and now is revising the stimulus plan.

Emerging from a two-hour meeting in the Capitol with Obama advisers Lawrence Summers and Jason Furman, Senate Democrats praised the President-elect’s team for agreeing to make changes to its stimulus proposal based off of concerns senators raised last week at a meeting with the president-elect’s senior aides.

Politico: Big changes to Obama stimulus plan

More, after the fold

It looks like the conversations and criticism by Senate Democrats has had an effect on the plan:

The Obama team told about 35 Senate Democrats gathered at Sunday’s meeting that it would grow the size of an energy-tax incentive package and modify proposed tax credits for individuals and for businesses that hire new employees, according to meeting attendees.

snip

“It’s very clear they’ve listened, they’ve heard and that they’re moving to respond,” said Sen. Kent Conrad, chairman of the Budget Committee, who questioned previously whether the tax credits in the stimulus package were enough to encourage new jobs. “It was very, very healthy. They’re not defensive, not arguing back, they’re listening, they’re attempting to hear and they’re responding.”

Politico: Big changes to Obama stimulus plan

The increase in the alternative energy tax breaks sounds good:

The energy tax breaks will likely increase, possibly to as much as $25 billion, and changes may be in store for the other two tax breaks that were a source of Democratic concern, lawmakers said after meeting with Obama’s economic advisers.

“There are significant changes already being put in place and being contemplated,” Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, told reporters. “I think it’s moving in the right direction and I think we’re making a lot of progress.”

He said he believed the middle-class tax cut and job hiring credit would change.

Reuters

More info on energy tax breaks, which are directed to renewable energy:

Democratic senators emerged from a Sunday afternoon meeting with President-elect Barack Obama’s advisers saying progress is being made on an economic recovery bill, with lawmakers’ ideas in such areas as energy tax credits gaining traction.

Senators have emphasized that they would like to see the stimulus or recovery bill (S1) include more funding and tax breaks for renewable energy and conservation programs than the Obama team had originally proposed. To that end, several senators said discussions have moved from including $10 billion worth of credits in the package to $20 billion to $25 billion.

“They’re moving in our direction,” said Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.

Senators, Obama Team Discuss Doubling Energy Tax Credits in Stimulus

Obama is going about this in the right way by collaborating with Congress:

“They’ve made some significant changes,” said Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat; Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, said, “They are clearly listening to our colleagues.”

Schumer said Obama plans to produce an outline of a stimulus package rather than a detailed measure, leaving it to lawmakers to “fill in the blanks.”

snip

“We’re going to have a collaborative, consultative process with Congress over the next few days,” Obama said yesterday on ABC’s “This Week” program. “If people have better ideas on certain provisions,” the president-elect said, “we welcome that.”

Bloomberg

I like the direction.  Having a President who listens and acts on progressive concerns is a big, big thing.

This is good news.  Progressive pushback works.  I still think the stimulus is too weak, but at least progressives have a voice and Obama is willing to make some changes.  That’s progress.

(a version of this was on Daily Kos today:  http://www.dailykos.com/story/…