What's in and what's out for a federal stimulus proposal

Congressional leaders and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson are narrowing their differences in search of a bipartisan economic stimulus deal that could move swiftly through Congress.

What's in

• Tax rebates: Checks of at least $400 for individuals and even more for married couples and people with children. The White House is pushing for higher rebates; Democrats want to extend them to low-income people and impose an income cap.

• Business tax write-offs: Spurring business investments with so-called bonus depreciation, more generous expensing rules and a change to allow businesses suffering losses now to reclaim taxes previously paid.

• Housing rescue: Making it easier for thousands of homeowners with ballooning interest rates to refinance into federally insured loans and allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy loans larger than $417,000.

• Unemployment insurance: Extending benefits past 26 weeks. The White House wants to limit extensions to the handful of states with unemployment rates exceeding 5.5 percent.

• Food stamps: A boost for benefits.

What's out

• Permanent tax cuts: Republicans concede that their top priority would have to be left out.

• Medicaid: Democrats are ready to give up on including Medicaid payments to states.

• Low-income heating subsidies: Democrats are surrendering the fight to include them.

• Infrastructure spending: Spending on transportation or repair projects already under way is off the table.