US Senate passes US $1.1 trlin package

The US senate has passed a 1.1-trillion-US dollar spending package for fiscal year 2010, despite concerns that this could result in a new record for the budget deficit.

The legislation includes 447 billion dollars for government agencies and about 650 billion dollars for Medicare and Medicaid benefits. But it does not include the Pentagon's 626 billion dollars in military spending. The document will now go to President Barack Obama for his signature. Supporters of the bill insist that spending is crucial to meet the needs of a recession-battered economy. But many are also critical, saying the spending package places an even heavier burden on the government budget. Under this plan, the federal deficit could hit a new high of 1.5 trillion dollars.