Senate Dems consider votes on parts of Obama jobs package
Washington (CNN) - If Senate Republicans successfully block Senate consideration of President Obama's $450 billion jobs bill Tuesday night, as is expected, Senate Democrats are considering breaking up the package into as many as a half dozen smaller pieces of legislation they hope to pass in the coming months, a Senate Democratic leadership aide told CNN.
The strategy is aimed at either winning passage of the individual components or pressuring the Republicans to explain to voters why they will not support the proposals, which many Republicans backed in the past, the aide said.
Senate Democratic leaders developed the strategy in conjunction with the president and his top aides at a White House meeting Friday. Democrats believe it might be successful, in part, because polls show more than half the public supports the president's job-creation ideas even if congressional Republicans don't like the overall jobs bill.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, a key political messenger for the Democrats, is shopping an idea to Democrats and Republicans that could be one of the smaller bills. It would tie a GOP-backed plan to create a lower repatriation tax for corporate profits held overseas to the creation of a Democratic supported plan for a new infrastructure bank to fund construction projects around the country. Under Schumer's plan, the repatriated taxes would fund the infrastructure bank.
Democrats are also considering splitting out separate votes on extending unemployment benefits, extending a payroll tax break for employers and employees, creating a hiring tax credit for veterans, providing money to keep teachers and first responders employed, and extending special expensing breaks for small businesses.
The first smaller bill could be on the floor before the end of the month, the Democratic aide said.
Hmm interesting…
Here we go again. Congress will not get together to forge a jobs bill. If the Republicans have a better idea they should put the plan in writing and let us see it. Unfortunately the Republican leadership is no leading, is not getting members to work toward a resolution or making changes to the Obama Jobs Bill. Just one more example of the lack of leadership and the lack of support for the American people.
Alabama says they can feel the migrant labor jobs with people. Okay, let's see how many people actually apply for the jobs. The wages are such that a family would have a very tough time living on their take home pay. The fact that many people are overqualified or are not willing to do this work. That is why we had immigrant farm workers for years. The workers are good and they work in the USA because the wages are better than that in their native countries.
By willingly breaking the bill into smaller chunks, the president is giving the opposition every opportunity to move the country forward. If Republican politicians continue to block ideas thaty once supported or even created, then this certainly indicates that their top prioroity is not the welfare of the country, but seizing power in 2012 even at the expense of struggling citizens.
Politicians will jam their beliefs down your throat one way or another.
Just pass the bill! My gawd!
Republicans are going to OBSTRUCT/FILIBUSTER the JOBS ACT just like they have EVERY piece of legislation since the Democrats lost their 60 seat majority which ends filibustering. WIth a Republican leader like McConnell who keeps saying his "sole goal is to destroy Obama" – how much is really going to get done to help the American People? Republicans have set a national record of obstruction/filibustering in the past 2 years of our entire nation's history.
Republicans have NO solutions, want NO solutions and only want our economy to fail for some sick political game where they think we will thank them for destroying our lives, killing all jobs bills, trying to kill SS and Medicare, take our worker protections, womens rights, and now even our VOTING rights????
Republicans aren't going to do ANYTHING to help the American People and will block everything sent up for a vote to help us. They are liars and haters of the American People. They have betrayed us for corporate money. They work for banks, oil companies, and abusive corporations – they DO NOT WORK FOR YOU. They are TRAITORS to the OATH they took to SERVE YOU.
If we want America back strong and healthy and for and by the PEOPLE – ALL Republicans have to go. Not one in any local, state or national office. Our nation could be well on its way to full recovery if the Republicans had not obstructed ALL efforts to move our nation forward. Republicans are NOT leaders. They are liars and traitors to America.
Stand up and fight back. NO MORE REPUBLICANS IN 2012 – WE WANT OUR DEMOCRACY BACK AND THE CORPORATE DICTATORSHIP TO END.
Gee and only three years later they have learned how to do this! God help us and keep us from politicians.
David P., what you just said makes perfect sense. You have no business discussing American Politics.
The President is calling the Republican's bluff. Those who vote against this bill which includes almost total bi-partisan ideas will show everyone that they put party (and Norquist) before country. They should all be listed in a special report and they should all be forced to explain why they voted against something that 65- 75% of the country seems to support in every poll. The true colours of the Republican party have been on display since the debt ceiling debate in the summer and it isn't pretty.
You Democrats better "Rally around our President,and our party, or be voted out in 2012???? You who oppose his jobs bill are not party politicians??? Your republicans, vote yes, or "Get Out" OMG!!!!!
The ONLY thing left in this country to get better is the "creation of JOBS!!!" That's it!!! President Obama is in control of "everything" else and he tried umpteen times to compromise with the Republicans. The Republicans know this which is the reason why they are "blocking" anything and everything the President proposes in order to produce jobs!!! They are obstructionist and it will backfire!!
Obama/Biden 2012
What a mess these people are
All of the Democrat co-sponsors of the bill should get together and push it through. Oh, that's right. Democrat politicians don't want this tax bill any more than Republicans do.
"If Republican politicians continue to block ideas thaty once supported or even created, then this certainly indicates that their top prioroity is not the welfare of the country, but seizing power in 2012 even at the expense of struggling citizens."
Their behavior over the past 3+ years indicated that long LOOONG ago. At this point, further affirmative acts intended to break the government and prevent any progress whatsoever are just piling on.
People need jobs now if they dont pass the bill whoever vote against the job will be voted out of the office.
Think about that a no good congress we understand yall dont like the president but dont use the american people for escape go.
Yes, most of us know that the President 's jobs bill is going nowhere fast. Although it contains some good ideas, it also contains the evil word tax..My thought on this entire matter is when are those idiots in Washington going to do something to stimulate the economy. Remember what history tells us....When the have-nots outnumber the haves and have nothing more to lose ...you got a revolution my friend!