Grassley blasts Democrats for holding up stimulus package

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, the top republican on the Senate Finance committee, says democrats are holding up action on an economic stimulus package. A democratic plan failed the Senate last Wednesday. Afterwards, Grassley gave his cell phone number to Senate Democrat Leader Tom Daschle, hoping behind-the-scene negotiations would begin.Grassley says he’s not been called because Daschle wants to make partisan points this week. Grassley says that’s not the way the Senate’s supposed to operate, Grassley says republicans and democrats can come up with a bipartisan plan.Grassley says the stimulus package will likely include an extension of unemployment benefits, small business tax breaks and an acceleration of the tax cuts approved last summer which presently are scheduled to be phased-in over the next five years.