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Senate-Passed Recovery Bill Would Create Jobs; Republicans Bent on Killing It |
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The Senate this afternoon approved (61-37) an $838 billion economic recovery package that reflects much of what President Obama sought in legislation to get the nation’s economy moving again. But it eliminates more than $40 billion in aid to fiscally strapped states and other job-creating provisions that are part of the House-passed version of the bill.
The Senate bill is somewhat of a compromise to win the votes of three moderate Republicans—Arlen Specter (Penn.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Olympia Snowe (Maine)—and prevent a filibuster by Republican leaders. The filibuster threat was turned back last night.
The bill now goes to a House-Senate conference, where House leaders say they will attempt to focus on restoring the jobs provisions, while maintaining 61-vote filibuster-proof support in the Senate.
Last night in his first nationally televised press conference, Obama urged Congress to act swiftly and get a bill to his desk as soon as possible. He also set a marker for what he hopes to see in the final bill.
My bottom line is to make sure that we are saving or creating 4 million jobs….
Republican leaders in the House and Senate say they will fight to defeat the conference bill. But as Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), says:
The single worst thing that can happen when the economy gets mired down is to sit on the sideline, pull back, start acting like a scared household, because that’s the recipe for a recession that lasts a decade rather than three years.
Republican opponents want to recycle the same failed tax break for the wealthy schemes, rather than create jobs for America’s working and middle class, the goal of the Obama administration. Said Obama:
As we’ve learned very clearly and conclusively over the last eight years, tax cuts alone can’t solve all of our economic problems, especially tax cuts that are targeted to the wealthiest few Americans. We have tried that strategy time and time again, and it’s only helped lead us to the crisis we face right now.
When it comes to how we approach the issue of fiscal responsibility, again, it’s a little hard for me to take criticism from folks about this recovery package after they’ve presided over a doubling of the national debt. I’m not sure they have a lot of credibility when it comes to fiscal responsibility.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) says he still is hoping the bill that emerges from the conference will bring more Republicans over to the Democrats’ side. But Schumer noted:
The sad fact…is that unless the bill is all tax cuts, mostly for the wealthy, and has almost no spending, the other side will never vote for it.
Schumer also said the Democrats will not be diverted:
We will not sacrifice the focus of this bill—jobs, tax cuts for the middle class and infrastructure—for anything.
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When Bush wanted his $750 billion for his bailout, Republicans were on board. When Bush wanted his monthly billion dollar check for his so-called “war on terrorism”, again Republicans with the fear factor instilled in their brains, went along and broke the nation. Bush did not spend one dime on assuring the economy would be stable. Funny isn’t this what Bin Laden wanted, for this country to collapse economically? Now Obama wants to re-build the broken American economy, and the Republicans act like this money is “sacred”, don’t spend it on this or that….already they are defiant, and plan to play the filibuster card, something they despised when Democrats tried it a few years ago. Now who are the obstructionists??
Bush insisted his tax cuts to the wealthy were going to stimulate the economy, and create jobs, another sick lie from the lame duck.
The most moderate Republicans still have supporting the very rich and business owners as their first priority.
The GOP is disdainful of working class America! (So are some “Blue Dog Democrats”.)
Face it! Stop making excuses for them! They are louses who have in the past and will in the future push their lousy, anti-worker agenda.
During the presidential primaries, more than one union pie card defended dual endorsements of both a Democratic and a Republican candidate. They whined something about “having to represent the 35% of the membership who call themselves Republicans”.
What a load of crap-ola!
Too bad those pie cards didn’t have the guts to tell the “35%’ers ” that they deserved no special consideration. 65% trumps 35%. Those “35%’ers” should have been strongly encouraged to come back into the fold, and to unify with the true working class principles of the 65%.
And here’s to anyone wishing to sermonize about how the 35% need to be acknowledged. Answer these questions: If 35% of the membership votes “NO” on a contract, will that defeat the contract? If 35% of the membership votes for the loser in a union election, does that mean that the person who got 65% of the vote can’t take office? How about if the loser got 49.999999999% of the vote? Would that prevent the person receiving 50.000000001% from taking office? No, no, and no.
Well, “35%’ers”, ya’can’t have it both ways!
Working class people don’t have any good reasons to vote Republicans. The GOP hates those of us who actually work – or want to work – for a living.` Face it!
Oh, and labor pie cards need to start facing the fact that leadership doesn’t mean trying to be all things to all people all at once. Leadership doesn’t hold its finger to the wind when deciding which way to go.
Leadership means growing a spine!
If you’re a working stiff, don’t vote GOP. Period. Case closed!
The Republicans are a bunch of phonies. They are an absolute disgrace and should be put out of business.