Stats Speaking

Last Tuesday, President Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus package into law, saying that it would “set our economy on a firmer foundation.” Some economists, such as National Economic Council director Larry Summers, support the economic stimulus to counter the economic downturn. Other economists, including James M. Buchanan and Robert Lucas Jr., say that it will increase unemployment and place more debt on future generations. Here are some statistics about the stimulus package:

Number of Representatives voted in favor: 246

Number of Representatives voted against: 183

Percent of the package to be spent on tax cuts: 40

Amount of money the package spends on higher education: $32 billion

Estimated number of jobs the package can create or save: 3.5 million

Sources: [SLANT12]http://www.recovery.gov/[SLANT12], [SLANT12]http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/[SLANT12]