The '''American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009''', called a "stimulus bill" by its supporters but branded a "pork bill" by its opponents, was passed by Congress on Friday the 13th of February 2009 after a vote sharply divided along party lines. The legislation's stated purpose was to invigorate an economy that was still spiralling downward in an ongoing [[Recession of 2008|recession]]. | The '''American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009''', called a "stimulus bill" by its supporters but branded a "pork bill" by its opponents, was passed by Congress on Friday the 13th of February 2009 after a vote sharply divided along party lines. The legislation's stated purpose was to invigorate an economy that was still spiralling downward in an ongoing [[Recession of 2008|recession]]. |