Stimulus: Secret sequel in the budget

President Barack Obama's budget proposal wants to extend the life of several Recovery Act provisions by building them into the federal budget.

By including the provisions in the federal spending plan, the administration is able to keep the Recovery Act alive without having to pass a separate measure, which will likely spark a lot of controversy. As long as they make it into the fiscal 2011 budget, they will be allowed to continue in the future despite a promised cap in federal spending. The administration wants to build on the stimulus-fueled spending for infrastructure, which it believes is a great way to create jobs. The budget would add $418 million to the $7.2 billion in the Recovery Act to expand broadband services to rural communities.