Cantor says no House vote on the President's jobs bill
Washington (CNN) - House Majority Leader Eric Cantor flatly rejected President Obama's call for the House and Senate to hold a vote on his jobs bill by the end of the month, saying Monday the full bill, called the "American Jobs Act," won't get a vote in the House of Representatives.
Cantor criticized the President for continuing to press for a vote on the entire package, saying at his weekly session with reporters on Capitol Hill, "This all or nothing approach is unreasonable."
Instead Cantor announced the House will take up several measures this month that he believes House Republicans and the White House agree on, including the three pending free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama.
The Majority Leader also said the House would vote on a bill to permanently repeal the 3% withholding tax on businesses that hold government contracts and take up other bills that roll back regulatory barriers for businesses. Cantor said the President Obama has made comments supportive of both of these areas.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, asked about Cantor's comment that House Republicans would just move parts of the jobs package, admitted the President would sign any of the individual pieces of the bill if they made it to his desk, "provided that they're paid for in an acceptable and fair way." But Carney said the President would continue to call for the rest of the bill to be enacted and put pressure on Congress to act.
In a tweak to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, Cantor noted the House movement on pieces of the President's economic agenda show the House is "able to do so much quicker than the Democratic controlled Senate." And the majority leader noted the division among Congressional Democrats on the President's plan, saying, "The President has got some whipping to do on his own side of the aisle."
But House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi continued to press Republicans Monday for a vote on the President's bill.
"Instead of supporting legislation to put people back to work and put money in the pockets of workers, Republicans are ignoring America's top priority. Republicans should schedule action on the American Jobs Act to help put Americans back to work," Pelosi said.
Cantor's blunt back hand to the President's appeal for a vote on Monday was a turnabout from the more conciliatory tone the Majority Leader and other top House Republicans used when they returned from their summer recess last month. GOP leaders acknowledged that voters were fed up with the gridlock in Washington and vowed to work with the White House to focus on measures aimed at helping the struggling economy.
The House Majority Leader stressed he still wants to work with the President on items Republicans support, but he took a swipe at the President's recent travels to his own Virginia district and to House Speaker John Boehner's home state last week. "I believe it would be a lot more helpful for the President to focus on areas of commonality rather than targeting House Republicans in campaign style tactics, and perhaps he can start compromising with us," Cantor said.
Cantor said there would be an announcement soon on the details on when the three trade deals would be sent to Capitol Hill, but indicated the House would move quickly after the announcement.
Cantor and the Repubs haven't done one thing to get America back to work. They are the party of government obstructionism and only solution to anything is tax breaks for the rich . Republican policy got the country so far in debt in the first place. Bush and the republicans who imposed all of the tax cuts on the rich and pushed for the war in Iraq which has cost over a trillion dollars. It was Bush and the republicans who deregulated the banks to the point where we had the lending melt down that led to the worst recession since the Great Depression.
They should pass this bill immediately to help people gain jobs. The house purposely do not want to see economy improve under this President. It is ashame that Republicans can hurt the american people with no consequences.
I'm shocked... the GOP standing in the way of EVERYTHING... the norm... to heck with the middle class, to heck with those that need help.... block everything and anything that can and will help ... Its party first and people second..
At least the House is moving on legislation to help improve the economy (which in turn will help the job market). What is the Senate doing? On top of that, why should we expect the Senate to actually move on anything the House passes any way. Reid's plan seems to be sit on any House legislation as long as possible.
Cantor: "this all or nothing approach is unreasonable." That's rich, coming from the GOP.
More of the same from the party of NO. The run on "JOBS JOBS JOBS" but refuse to pass the only jobs legislation to come in to the GOP house. LOSERS.
Look at the smirk on John Boener's face in the photo!! If President Obama asked the House to pass a bill declaring the earth is round, they would not do it. I am fed up with all of these career politicians and the games they are playing; I can't wait to get to the voting booth!
Cantor Thanks again for spirit of uncooperation and for not providing any solution that takes all Americans into consideration. A sign of a true weasel. For instance your complaints about government spending then when a small earthquake hits Mineral, Virginia, you are the first one crying for federal disaster funding. What a hypocrit.
The best thing I suggest is froze thier pay until they start EARNING their paid check.......
Cantor and most of GOP don't care about jobs. They care about Corporate profits and keeping the rich from paying taxes. Two years of control of the US House and GOP keeps attacking the American worker, denying their benefits public and private, and telling Americans to suffer for some greater good that will come out of greater Corporate profits? GOP is a big part of the jobs problem in America!
This sounds very reasonable. Since Obozo did the same thing before, and It didn't work what makes him think it will work this time? Oh thats right he is an affirmative action commie. The brainless wonder!
Why not? How can you say that you will work with the president while shutting down his bill that should put some people back to work? That seem like a questionable tactic. When all the GOP ideas haven't done much, why are you still trying them? Meet the president in the middle.
Eric Cantor should be removed from Congress immediately. You think that by refusing to help pass the President's jobs bill you are doing America a favor – you're either living in reality of your own making or you're just plain stupid! It is you and your party that have created this mess – I would think you would want to help President Obama get us out of it. But then again, it's not that he's a Democrat – it's all about race and has always been about race. You and your fellow tea baggers should hang your heads in shame.
Who's stopping the vote on President Obama's Jobs Bill? The Senate Democrats under Majority Leader Harry Reid!!! It is Reid's responsiblity to bring it to a vote but he hasn't done so... why not?
With over a year until then next presidential election, the campaign fever has already eclipsed the possibility of any actual progress thanks to partisan politics.
Obama's jobs plan is a step in the right direction even though it has its problems: employers are unconvinced that it will lead to more hiring (http://eng.am/nQFWgQ) and less than half of the bill is focused on actual stimulus such as infrastructure spending. However, by tying it to measures like eliminating tax deductions for the wealthy, closing loopholes for corporate jet owners, and taxing subsidies for oil and gas companies, the bill is guaranteed to fail.
Meanwhile the Republicans proposed tax cuts for business and individuals, easing environmental regulations, and more domestic drilling to solve our economic woes. All of which the Democrats will reject.
So, how do we actually get our economy back on track?
Cantor ciritized Obama for trying to get jobs back in the United States, it essential to the interests of the Chamber of Commerce for the United States government to continue to support job growth in China. The only jobs Cantor believes the US government should pay for are the jobs in his district, it is such a joke his district depends so heavily on federal jobs but yet he is concerned about "big government" spending.
The first six years of the Bush administration saw all of the deregulation and tax cuts that the right wing wanted or was able to foist upon the economy. The first six years of the Bush administration saw corporate profits soar, and Wall Street in an economic boom. The first six years of the Bush administration saw manufacturing jobs decline for 19 million to 11 million, which crippled the middle class.
Republicans are still advocating the same deregulation and tax cuts. What do you think the result will be?
Basically Cantor is unwilling to compromise AT ALL...and the American people will continue to suffer. He even admits this bill has a lot that the Republicans like! But they aren't willing to bring it to vote. Instead they just want to cherry pick the parts they like. That's not compromise...that's being a whiny baby.
Thank you, Republicans, for keeping our country in the toilet. I don't normally like to place blame...but I have no choice in this matter.
The best thing I suggest is froze their pay until they start EARNING their paid check.......
Surprise, surprise. The party of NO, the party of obstruction is doing it again. Vote all these bums out in 2012 for the sake for our country. They have not proposed a jobs bill in the 2 years that they have been in power and now will not allow a vote on one by the President.
BUT..............."This all or nothing approach is unreasonable" is what the repuks are doing and have done all year long................what a DECIETFUL SOB. Thank God elections come around often to vote all of these looser out of office. CAN'Tor the name is fitting his middle name should be TRIFLIN with the 1st name: GAME-PLAYER.
OF COURSE YOU WON'T VOTE ON IT.....These Repub clowns have done NOTHING to help create jobs
All they have are the same failed policies of GWB that have not worked
All of these Tea Party Nuts need to be thrown out and then maybe we will make some progress......ERIC CANTOR NEEDS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!