Fiscal stimulus package is big, but may not be big enough

As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on an $820-$900 billion fiscal stimulus bill and send it to a congressional conference committee, a stark reality confronts lawmakers: the stimulus package may not be large enough.

A group led by a handful of moderate Republicans and selected Democrats cut roughly $60-80 billion from the Senate bill, focusing on what they said were items not directly related to stimulating the economy.

Economist Richard Felson said lawmakers may find themselves in six months staring at an economy that needs another stimulus jolt, and given the two options, it's better to provide the stimulus all at once, from a GDP-impact standpoint.