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Gregg Supports Senate Stimulus, New Boss

Signaling his loyalty to his future boss, Commerce Secretary appointee Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) on Wednesday threw his support behind the administration’s $900 billion stimulus package.

“I’m going to support something that I think makes sense, and I think a major stimulus package, and I have said that all along, makes a lot of sense,” Gregg, appointed Tuesday to the Cabinet post, said today during a brief interview on CNBC.

“The Senate is still working, [and] I expect it will come up with an even stronger package than the package that left the House,” he added.

In the last 24 hours, President Barack Obama has staged a multifront effort to rally votes for the stimulus bill, to which even some Senate Democrats have given a tepid response. Obama sat for a handful of network television interviews Tuesday to pump up the bill and has been individually courting moderate Republican Senators to come aboard.

Gregg’s strongly worded support came as his Republican Senate colleagues continued their criticism of the bill’s growing price tag and questioned how effective it would be in turning around the economy.

While Gregg has recused himself from voting on the package, he called for a bipartisan effort to get it on the president’s desk. Obama has asked Congress get him a bill by Feb. 13.

“I think it’s necessary we work together,” Gregg said.

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