Patrick calls out Senate on stimulus

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff
Governor Deval Patrick this afternoon blasted the US Senate for not acting more swiftly on approving a federal stimulus package that would benefit state governments.
“That there is this much resistance from people who over a weekend came up with hundreds of billions of dollars for the financial industry is just extraordinarily frustrating,” he said in a conference call with reporters to discuss his West Coast trip to recruit new businesses to Massachusetts. “While this quarreling goes on, people are hurting. The sooner the Senate acts the better for all of us.”
Patrick said he has been speaking with fellow governors, several senators, and officials in the White House.
“I think there’s a deal here to be had,” Patrick said. “But we’re going to have to stop the posturing and get on to results.”

Patrick was among a bipartisan group of 19 governors who issued a letter this week in support of the stimulus package.

But as a bipartisan group of senators try to trim the $900 billion-plus package, one area they are looking at is direct aid to states.