Senator Nelson Casts Vote on Stimulus Funds

Last week the Senate Finance Committee voted, 13-1, to use $3.3 billion in federal stimulus dollars to balance the current 2008-09 budget and to spend an additional $10.8 billion for the next two years. Senator Nelson cast the only dissenting vote against these measures, noting that there had been no public input and that members did not have sufficient information about how those dollars would be used. "These dollars were meant to fund capital improvements and one-time expenditures -- not to expand programs that we can't afford in the next budget," Senator Nelson said.