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.
Imagine my surprise to hear Cantor is stalling on the jobs bill.
the jokers need to stop playing games, all of their pay need to be stopped until america is back on track for economic growth and higher employment rate
What? vote on that job bills which could put millions of americans to work and would appear to be a win for the President, not this Republican/Tea Party, true to form, they want a Jim "Tea King " Demitt Waterloo to occcur and in the interim if millions of Americans suffer, so be it. This Republican party is in for a rude awakening!!
Cantor,McConnell and the rest of the Repubs have targeted Obama since he got in the house,what's new,turnabout is fair play...Their saying he's saying my way or nothing,then they say exactly the same thing,hypocrites can't change their strips...You'll see at election time,people remember ,you'll be looking for work soon after I predict,count your days,Repubs,the end is near.If no work bill is active you'll all be gone....
it is time for cantor to be recalled, impeached etc. he was one of the main congressmen to hold america hostage for the last three years and his rhetoric is getting old. america is hurting and cantor continues to block any progress towards putting america back to work.he is depressing and obsolete. time to retire him and the rest of his partners
Why not Cantor? Is it because you are set to profit from your ProShares investment if the economy tanks?
Is Eric Cantor afraid to bring the the American Jobs Bill up for a vote in the House? And why is he, and not John Boehner, deciding when and if a bill will be scheduled for a vote. I thought that was the responsibility of the House Speaker. Was a defacto change of House leadership during the weekend?
Korea, Colombia, and Panama, more jobs going overseas! Obama wants jobs here...why can't the GOP want jobs in America!
Corporate America continues its expansion into China; where socialized healthcare and socialized education are the norm. Bush's “tax cuts for the rich” policy continues to help fund this transition. (When was the last time you saw a job created in the U.S.?) These former American companies only pay tax in China, supporting a growing communist government and military. The Republican party represents the rich corporations- and these corporations are moving to China. These guys aren't batting for us (U.S.) anymore. The writing is on the wall. Just open your eyes...
The tax cuts for the rich have not changed; the loop holes for the corporations have not changed; the so called promises from the Republicans have not changed....SO WHERE THE H- ARE THE JOBS MR CANTOR???
Who elected Eric Cantor dictator? Are the Republicans really so desperate? If so they deserve to be crushed in 2012. They said they were going to be all about jobs, jobs, jobs, but what they really seem to be about is power, power, power. Disgusting.
Hmmm... Let me think about this. "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 Is that not what Barack has tried for the last few years and gotten nowhere with. They suggest broken bridges carrying 4% of our american goods that are falling down not a common area of concern??? What??, What is that? Is this Boehner for real? I swear he must be paid to say this stuff? Move aisde gop and let this guy work for the millions of americans who voted him in!! LOOK at the plan as a group like you are supposed to and ADD benefit to it rather than take them away. What happened to you republicans? You had a good party back in the day, stop favoring Greed Over People. Look at wall street, here the people. Do your job, for your country and its people too, not just it's corporations
Unemployed citizens across this great land, you now know who to hold responsible for your continued unemployment, your inability to buy braces for your daughter's teeth, the person that is assisting the sheriff as he serves you an eviction notice from your foreclosed home.
If you didn't know before, you should surely know now that it is the Party of No, the Obstructionist Republicans, the Hostage Takers that embrace the Tea Party tactics. Mr. Cantor is playing games with the stability of your family as your marriage strains under the tension of financial instability.
The best way for you to GET AT Mr. Cantor is to FIRE him directly – but if you don't live in the Richmond area, he is insulated from you. The SECOND best way for you to get Cantor is to FIRE him indirectly by returning the Republicans in the House of Representatives to MINORITY status. Vote a straight Democratic ticket in 2012 & 2014 and expunge the Tea Party Hostage Takers from the Congress.
Re-elect the President and give him a fillibuster-proof super majority of 66 Democratic senators and 300 Democratic house members. Do this, and the gridlock in Washington will be broken. Jobs will be created directly through smart infrastructure projects [ like a 21st century electrical grid]. Jobs will be ENCOURAGED indirectly through higher taxes on corporations & rich individuals as this additional revenue is used to pay down debt. The lower the nation's total debt is, the more we will be willing to consume to boost demand.
As long as you allow people like Cantor to skate by without accountability for their inaction, things will not change.
Party of No, I would rather ensure the economy is still in the dumps in time for 2012 strikes again, throw all of these GOP bums out.
Cantor: the most punchable face in Congress.
I guess Goldman Sachs wants their boy to sit on anything that actually helps people.
Shame on you Mr. Cantor. You weren't raised to be a schmuck.
This whole House Leadership !!!MUST Go!!!!
Free trade so countries can steal more of our jobs? But they can't vote on a bill that will actually create jobs here in America. This is ludicrous.
So funny to hear that the "all or nothing approach is unreasonable". Wasn't it the Tea Party terrorists who were demanding everything their way in regards to the budget?
Of course not- Republican have obstructed every single effort put forth to RESTORE our economy, create jobs, or help the PEOPLE destroyed by Wall St banks. Republicans are bought and paid for by the very banks who brought down our nation, the very corporations who sent our jobs overseas..Republicans have betrayed the PEOPLE at every turn.
Predictable response from the Republicans.
Why doesn't John Boehner just turn over the gavel to Cantor now? Looks like Eric is running things anyway.
Another insult to Americans waiting for help from Washington- The Party of No! has spoken again.
Hey Cantor- here's a heads up for you- all those people you wish to hurt by supporting only the rich? They'll get to vote in November 2012 (too bad it is so far off), they won't vote for you or the other GOP/TP creatures. Why? You have't lifted a finger to help end the economic disaster caused by you and your party. Get it now?
it is becoming clearer and clearer who cares for the people and this country. this president has shown the terrorist that no matter how long it takes, if you attack this country and her people you will be hunted down and brought to justice.no matter what that justice is. he is truly a champion of the people for the people and by the people. we need the jobs that the big businesses outsourced overseas to poor countries and made them rich at our expense. the people of this country are starting to wake up to the great injustice that has been done to us by these corporate people. and we will reflect it at the next elections. these career congressmen will have to find a different line of work.they are fired.
These are a bunch of idiotts, anything to ruin our economy