WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Senate late Friday, February 13 night passed a $787 billion economic stimulus package by a vote of 60-38.



The vote on the 1,071-page American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) came hours after the U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill 246-183, with no Republicans supporting the bill.



The bill was delivered to President Barack Obama's desk for his signature.



The legislation includes billions of dollars in spending on items including infrastructure, education, tax breaks for individuals and businesses, help for unemployed workers and aid for state governments.



President-Elect, Obama asked mayors and governors across the United States to suggest "shovel-ready" public projects, including infrastructure, schools and parks, that could begin construction within 90 to 120 days of the signing of the economic stimulus bill.



U.S. mayors submitted a list of 427 projects. The projects would cost a total of $73 billion. They would create nearly 850,000 jobs by 2010.

Three Republicans, Maine's Susan Collins and Olympia Snow and Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, voted for the stimulus package, giving it the support it needed to pass with a three-fifths majority.



"The vote on the stimulus package was a very tough vote because of the very large deficit we have and the very large national debt faced by future generations," Specter said. "But the economy is in a desperate situation ... The agreement we reached was the best one we could under the circumstances."



U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., called the funding “a big victory." for upstate New York.

“We have an aging and ailing rail system in upstate New York and this funding will be critical to the future of our transportation systems,' ...