Biden nixes idea of pet projects in stimulus bill

WASHINGTON — With President-elect Barack Obama's team scrambling to shape a massive new economic stimulus package, Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday ruled out pet projects and special interest spending.

"It's important for the American taxpayer to know that this is not going to be politics as usual and we will not tolerate business as usual in Washington," Biden said at the start of a meeting at transition headquarters of Obama's top economic staff.

"I know it's Christmas, and I know it's the Christmas season," he said, "but President-elect Obama and I are absolutely, absolutely determined that this economic recovery plan will not become a Christmas tree."

Biden said "there will be no earmarks" in the proposal — referring to the sort of special-interest projects that members of Congress often attach to various pieces of legislation.

The goal had been for the incoming White House and the Democratic-controlled Congress to devise the broad outlines of a plan by Christmas. The negotiators are on a tight schedule, as Obama and congressional leaders want to have lawmakers act on the plan in early January, so that it is ready to be put into place as soon as possible after Obama takes office on Jan. 20.

But when asked whether a broad outline was ready, Biden replied: "We're not prepared to tell you at this moment that that's been done."

Among the details still being polished, he said, are total spending figures — expected to range between at least $650 billion and perhaps as much as $850 billion — as well as where it will go. Biden said the sides are very close.

"There is overall agreement on both right now, that we're getting down to a specific number and the nature of the investments we're going to be making," he said.

The plan is expected to significantly increase federal spending on health care, education, infrastructure like roads and bridges, aid to states, and energy. Ideas include weatherizing 1 million homes, shifting to a paperless health system, investing in disease prevention and modernizing schools.

"As our economy worsens, the need for a bold economic recovery grows every day," the vice president-elect said.

The recession already is the longest since the 1981-82 slump, which lasted 16 months. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who will chair Obama's National Economic Council, predicted that "without substantial policy action" the nation would almost certainly face the most severe economic downturn since World War II.