Reid predicts stimulus passage

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he has enough votes to pass the $900 billion-plus economic stimulus bill in the Senate.

The Nevada Democrat said he thinks two Republicans of "good will" would support the package, The Hill said.

"Do we have the votes? I believe we do," said Reid, who expected a final vote on the package Thursday.

Democratic leaders also threw water on an effort negotiated by centrists such as Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., to cull up to $200 billion from the bill.

"If they think they're going to rewrite this bill, President Obama is going to walk away," said Reid, when asked about efforts by about 20 centrists to lop off $100 billion to $200 billion from the cost of the package.

On Wednesday, the Senate inserted a tax credit for homebuyers, which Republicans say addresses the root of the recession. The provision would give homebuyers 10 percent of the price of a primary residence bought within one year, up to $15,000.

If the stimulus bill passes the Senate, it still would have to be reconciled with the House measure approved last week.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, met one-on-one with Obama in the Oval Office, delivering a list of cuts, totaling about $100 billion, she said should be made in the bill. Obama also met with other senators to discuss possible changes to the stimulus package.

Initiatives critics said they hope to remove from the bill include $1 billion for the National Science Foundation, $850 million for Amtrak, $400 million for research and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, $400 million for climate change research, $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and $14 million for Department of Homeland Security cyber-security research.