Senate Passes Stimulus; Obama's Pen Is Next

In a major victory for President Barack Obama, Democrats muscled a huge, $787 billion stimulus bill through Congress late today in hopes of combating the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the AP reports. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous. The Senate approved the measure 60-38 with three GOP moderates providing crucial support.

There was little suspense about the outcome, although the final act played out over hours. That was to allow time for Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown to fly back—aboard a government plane—from Ohio, where his mother died earlier in the week. His was the decisive 60th vote for the bill. Hours earlier, the House vote was 246-183 along party lines. Obama is expected to sign the bill as early as next week. (More economic stimulus package stories.)