American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleAn Act making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, State, and local fiscal stabilization, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.
Acronyms (colloquial)ARRA
NicknamesRecovery Act
Enacted bythe 111th United States Congress
EffectiveFebruary 17, 2009
Citations
Public law111-5
Statutes at Large123 Stat. 115
Codification
Acts amendedEnergy Policy Act of 2005
Energy Policy Act of 1992
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
Titles amended16 U.S.C.: Conservation
42 U.S.C.: Public Health and Social Welfare
U.S.C. sections amended16 U.S.C. ch. 46 § 2601 et seq.
42 U.S.C. ch. 134 § 13201 et seq.
42 U.S.C. ch. 149 § 15801 et seq.
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the House as H.R. 1 by Dave Obey (D-WI) on January 26, 2009
  • Committee consideration by Appropriations and Budget
  • Passed the House on January 28, 2009 (244–188)
  • Passed the Senate on February 10, 2009 (61–37)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on February 12, 2009; agreed to by the House on February 13, 2009 (246–183) and by the Senate on February 13, 2009 (60–38)
  • Signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009
Major amendments
Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (Pub. L. 111–5 (text) (PDF)), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Great Recession, the primary objective of this federal statute was to save existing jobs and create new ones as soon as possible. Other objectives were to provide temporary relief programs for those most affected by the recession and invest in infrastructure, education, health, and renewable energy.

The approximate cost of the economic stimulus package was estimated to be $787 billion at the time of passage, later revised to $831 billion between 2009 and 2019.[1] The ARRA's rationale was based on the Keynesian economic theory that, during recessions, the government should offset the decrease in private spending with an increase in public spending in order to save jobs and stop further economic deterioration.

The politics around the stimulus were very contentious, with Republicans criticizing the size of the stimulus. On the right, it spurred the Tea Party movement and may have contributed to Republicans winning the House in the 2010 midterm elections.[2][3][4] Not a single Republican member of the House voted for the stimulus,[5] and only three Republican senators voted for it.[6] Most economists have argued that the stimulus was smaller than needed.[3][7][8] Surveys of economists show overwhelming agreement that the stimulus reduced unemployment,[9][10] and that the benefits of the stimulus outweigh the cost.[9]

According to the CBO's final report in February 2015, the ARRA spent $121,313 to create or save each job. [11]

  1. ^ "Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output from October 2011 Through December 2011" (PDF). A CBO Report. Congressional Budget Office. February 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  2. ^ Critchlow, Donald (December 25, 2014). American Political History: A Very Short Introduction. Very Short Introductions. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-934005-7.
  3. ^ a b The Obama Presidency and the Politics of Change | Edward Ashbee | Palgrave Macmillan. p. 223.
  4. ^ Skocpol, Theda; Williamson, Vanessa (September 1, 2016). The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 6–7. ISBN 978-0-19-063366-0.
  5. ^ Debating the Obama Presidency.
  6. ^ Rogers, David (February 13, 2009). "Senate passes $787 billion stimulus bill". POLITICO. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  7. ^ Grunwald, Michael (August 3, 2020). "About That Next Bailout: One Big Lesson from 2009". POLITICO. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  8. ^ Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know, 3rd Edition (Third Edition, New to this ed.). Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. December 28, 2015. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-19-026204-4.
  9. ^ a b "Economic Stimulus (revisited)". IGM Forum. The Initiative on Global Markets; Chicago Booth. July 29, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  10. ^ "Economic Stimulus". IGM Forum. The Initiative on Global Markets; Chicago Booth. February 15, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  11. ^ "Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output in 2014" (PDF). Congressional Budget Office. February 2015.