The Times puts it one way:

But the competing bills now reflect substantially different approaches. The House puts greater emphasis on helping states and localities avoid wide-scale cuts in services and layoffs of public employees. The Senate cut $40 billion of that aid from its bill, which is expected to be approved Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the AIA, in a release just sent out, is a little more blunt:

“The Senate compromise tells millions of workers in the design and construction industry that they don’t deserve to be a part of the economic recovery,” said Marvin Malecha, president of the American Institute of Architects. “Eliminating funds for school modernization and cutting investments in energy efficient federal buildings means more than 500,000 Americans lose the opportunity to find a job that could help our economy emerge from this recession.”

“Nearly one million jobs have been lost in this vital sector–which accounts for one in ten dollars of GDP–over the past two years. A study conducted by the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University states that each $1 million in construction spending supports 28.5 full-time jobs. The Senate’s action only slows the momentum of jobs creation that will get the economy moving again.”

“In an economic crisis as grave as this, we need to do everything we can to stimulate the economy and rebuild our communities. What better way to do so than to invest in our children. We are going to fight to make sure that as the bill goes to conference, these funds are restored to the bill.”