Federal Stimulus: The action we need to put America back to workRight now, the United States Senate and House of Representatives are working to reach a compromise on the Federal Stimulus Package. The goal is for Congress to send the bill to the President for his signature on Presidents Day, February 16th. It is my hope that as they finalize this important legislation, they will not lose sight of its broader goals - putting Americans back to work, assisting families in crisis and laying a foundation for future economic growth. As the President has said, this is not an abstract or political debate. The entire country is in an urgent economic crisis that demands immediate action. The scope of this action is so immense - the need so great - that only the Federal Government has power to break America free from the downward spiral of recession. The plan before Congress aims to spur job creation and long-term growth by doubling the production of alternative energy in the next three years; repairing and building roads and bridges; weatherizing homes; making buildings more energy efficient; and building transmission lines for wind power. Meanwhile, states like Kansas are on the front line of dealing with the impacts of this recession. It is left up to the states to provide services like health care, unemployment benefits and food assistance to thousands of our workers who have already lost their jobs. It will be the states who can immediately spur private-sector job creation by rebuilding our roads and bridges and retrofitting our buildings to be more energy efficient. The final package must include resources for the states, so that we'll be better equipped to help our citizens. At the end of the day, I hope that the House and Senate can resolve their differences and take immediate action to pass economic recovery legislation that will help Kansans - and all Americans - bridge the gap between unemployment and a new job.