SENATOR COLLINS DISCUSSES ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today met personally with President Barack Obama to discuss her concerns with the proposed economic stimulus package. Senator Collins is leading a bipartisan group of her colleagues, including Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), to develop a final stimulus package that would boost our nation's troubled economy and create and save jobs.

"President Obama and I had a productive and lengthy discussion about the economic stimulus package being considered by the Senate," said Senator Collins. "We spoke about the importance of passing a bipartisan package that would include targeted programs and tax relief to help get the economy moving again.

"I explained to the President my serious concerns with the House-passed bill, which now exceeds $900 billion and includes spending for some programs that would neither boost the economy nor create jobs. That is why I am working so hard with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to forge a compromise. I also assured the President that I shared his goal of passing a recovery package as soon as possible."