Mark Isakowitz, a Republican lobbyist who follows tax policy, said drafting such a bill -- with about $300 billion in tax cuts -- is difficult.
"Can you really do a bill quickly based on the force of Obama's popularity?" he asked. "It's dawning on people that the laws of Washington have not been suspended."
One of those laws is that members of Congress always try to put their stamp on any high-profile bill. "We want to leave our own imprint on it," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont). "A lot of members are just starting to think about it and are saying they have ideas too."
Baucus mentioned his own "strong interest in more energy-producing incentives than we've seen so far."
Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) wants more money for environmentally friendly jobs. And in the House, the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats are worried about the exploding budget deficit and want to include some commitment to future fiscal discipline.
Obama has said he will not allow the stimulus to contain any congressional pet spending projects, the controversial items known as earmarks. But lawmakers could work to tilt the tax cuts or government spending their way. The delay also gives interest groups time to try to influence the process, and many have been weighing in with wish lists.
Beyond the complexities of drafting the legislation, Democrats and Republicans are at odds over the focus of the stimulus.
Democrats are emphasizing government spending, particularly on roads, bridges and other infrastructure, to boost the economy and create jobs. Republicans say that amount of spending is wasteful -- particularly after the Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday projected a $1.2-trillion federal budget deficit for the current fiscal year. They are pushing for the bulk of the stimulus to come in the form of tax cuts.
Obama has tried to reach out to Republicans by proposing that about 40% of the stimulus -- roughly $300 billion -- would be used for tax cuts, including about $100 billion in breaks for businesses to encourage new investment and job creation.
Many Republicans are pleased that Obama is planning a significant tax cut. But some GOP lawmakers are skeptical that tax cuts would do much for the economy.
"The last [tax-cut] stimulus didn't stimulate the economy at all," said Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, referring to the $100-billion-plus in tax rebates sent out last year.
