The Senate has begun debate on President Obama’s massive economic stimulus package. Top Democrats are now proposing to increase the amount set aside for highway and mass transit, while Republicans are trying to strip parts of the nearly $900 billion bill. President Obama urged lawmakers to quickly approve the stimulus package.

President Obama: “The recovery package that we are moving forward is designed to provide states relief; to make sure that people who are laid off from their jobs are still able to get unemployment insurance, are still able to get healthcare; and that we are putting in place the infrastructure — rebuilding roads, bridges, waterways, other projects at the state levels — that allow us to put people back to work. And we want to create or save three million jobs, and we want to put the investments in place that are going to ensure long-term economic growth.”

The Senate measure currently includes $325 billion in tax breaks and $560 billion in direct spending to spur the economy. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill needs to be reformed.

Sen. Mitch McConnell: “We’re not trying to prevent a package from passing. We’re trying to reform it, reformulate it, put it in a different place. The package that most of my members would support would be dramatically different from what passed the House and, frankly, dramatically different from what we currently see out of the Finance Committee and the Appropriations Committee. And I’ve indicated where we think it ought to go: fix housing first, tax relief for middle- and low-income taxpayers that put money back in their pockets immediately.”