Senate Pushes Bipartisan $15 billion Jobs Bill
Scott Brown was among the 5 Republicans who voted for Reid's revamped jobs billThe Party of No is seeing a few of its ranks jump ship and say No Longer. Looks like there are those in the Republican Party willing to cross the aisle ad vote for a bill that actually makes sense- well, vote for that bill to go to a vote. Now that the super-majority in the Senate is lost, Democrats have to fight to get anything past the filibuster, counting a win on that front as a win overall. But then, of course, it still has to be voted on as an actual bill.
Sudden celebrity Senator Scott Brown was among those who call themselves Republican but chose to help the jobs bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) scaled back from its original spending highs. Brown and four other Republicans voted for the bill to go to a vote later on this week.
Important for three quick reasons:
- Republicans did not remain rank and file.
- Senators realize we do not have time to waste on the job front.
- Obama will get to claim a victory in something, finally.
It’s a $15 billion package of tax cuts and highway spending, so it’s not going to break the bank and it’s not going to solve the problem. But it is part of that “hopey-changey” thing that former Governor Palin is so fond of dissing. There is no tea and no sarcasm involved here- the idea is to put people to work on projects.
Obama is calling the vote an "important step forward" and talked again about bi-partisanship, which I continue to think he is focusing on way too much. He disagrees:
"The American people want to see Washington put aside partisan differences and make progress on jobs," said Obama.
I disagree. I don’t care how partisan you are as long as you make something happen. That’s the idea. Forward motion.
"I hope my vote today is a strong step toward restoring bipartisanship in Washington," said Republican golden child Scott Brown. So much for that take-over, hey, boys! Woohoo!
The bill is essentially a way to get people who aren’t paying their taxes to pay them and a break for people who are paying them. It also creates state and local construction bonds to create a construction fund.
On that note, there are arguments that construction jobs on the highways are not the most stable, as they will last for a certain amount of time and then be done- but isn’t America moving toward a part-time and outsourced and consultant and 1099 life anyway? The career as a way of life went at least halfway out the window before the 21st century even started. If we try to wait until the next GM/Ford/Chevy starts up and starts handing out full-time, life-long manufacturing jobs…
You get my point. “Oh, and don’t it seem to go…that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone…”
Indeed. And now, all we want is a set of politicians who will set the stage right so that we can create jobs.
This $15 billion bill is a far cry from the $155 billion measure passed by the House in December, but it’s also an actual step forward, a forward motion step for the Senate. Good work, boys.
Photo Credit: Mark Sardella (via Flickr under CCL)
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