With job losses soaring nationwide, Senate Democrats reached agreement with a small group of Republicans Friday night on an economic stimulus measure at the heart of President Barack Obama's plan for combatting the worst recession in decades.
"The American people want us to work together. They don't want to see us dividing along partisan lines on the most serious crisis confronting our country," said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, one of at least two Republican senators who pledged their votes for the bill.
Democratic leaders said the concessions they had made to Republicans and moderate Democrats to trim the measure had cleared the way for its passage. It seemed likely a final vote would take place Saturday or Sunday.
Democrats put the cost of the measure at $780 billion, including Obama's signature tax cut of up to $1,000 for working couples. Much of the new spending in the bill would be for victims of the recession, in the form of unemployment compensation, health care and food stamps.
Republican critics said that the price tag was actually higher, and that billions were ticketed for programs that would not create jobs. Official cost figures were not yet available.
The agreement capped a tense day of backroom negotiations in which Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, joined by White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, sought to attract the support of enough Republicans to give the measure the needed 60-vote majority.
Uncertain of the outcome of the talks, Democrats called Sen. Edward M. Kennedy back to Washington in case his vote was needed. The Massachusetts senator, battling brain cancer, has been in Florida in recent days and has not been in the Capitol since suffering a seizure on Inauguration Day more than two weeks ago.
In addition to Collins, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter said he would vote for the bill. Several Democratic senators said Olympia Snowe, another Republican, also had agreed to vote for it, but her office said she was uncommitted.
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