They Voted For You: Federal Stimulus

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, helped pass "a historically huge $819 billion stimulus bill Wednesday night, filled with new spending and tax cuts at the core of the young adminstration's revival plan for the desperately ailing economy," The Associated Press reports.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the legislation, as did all of her GOP colleagues who took part in the 244-188 roll call.

"The vote sent the bill to the Senate, where debate is expected to begin as early as this week on a companion measure already taking shape," the article said. "Democratic leaders have pledged to have legislation ready for Obama's signature by mid-February."

As for the partisan divide, AP reported that "With unemployment at its highest level in a quarter-century, the banking industry wobbling despite the infusion of staggering sums of bailout money and states struggling with budget crises, Democrats said the legislation was desperately needed."

Republicans "said the bill was short on tax cuts and contained too much spending, much of it wasteful and unlikely to help laid-off Americans," the article continued.

Update: West Virginia's congressional delegation shared their voting plans with MetroNews (audio here) beforehand. The Charleston Daily Mail reported on Capito's "qualms" with the bill.