Senate to Take Up Obama’s Jobs Bill This Month
EmailThe Senate will take up President Obama’s jobs bill this month, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said today.
“We’ll do that this month,” Reid said from the Senate floor this afternoon. “I’m happy to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve this bill. But I hope the obstructionism Republicans employed the last nine months won’t continue.”
Obama said today during a meeting with his cabinet at the White House that Congress will vote on the American Jobs Act before the end of the month, adding that he wants the bill back on his desk and that he is “ready to sign it.”
“My expectation is … that now that we’re in the month of October, that we will schedule a vote before the end of this month. I’ll be talking to Sen. Reid, [Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell, as well as [House Majority] Speaker [John] Boehner and [Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi, and insisting that we have a vote on this bill,” Obama told reporters today of the legislation he sent to Congress three weeks ago.
Reid faces an uphill climb in getting Democratic support for the bill. Many Democratic senators, including Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have expressed skepticism about the plan and suggested that perhaps the best way to take up the legislation is via the piecemeal approach, breaking up the bill and passing parts.
Since last month when Obama released the American Jobs Act, Reid has been noncommittal when asked when he would take up the president’s legislation, despite Obama’s insistence that the bill be passed right away.
“The floor’s pretty well jammed now,” Reid said two weeks ago, explaining why he hasn’t moved on the president’s bill since then.
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Reid said, “But I hope the obstructionism Republicans employed the last nine months won’t continue.”
Harry, you are more likely to get hit by lightning the day you win the Lotto than for the Republicans to stop their obstructionism………………
Posted by: Searambler | October 3, 2011, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
So Harry the loser is finally taking up the bill. Must think it’s important after all these weeks. This is exaclty whu the democrats will lose. They could give a hoot about people and jobs.
Posted by: jonny | October 3, 2011, 3:51 pm 3:51 pm
Now is the time to fish or cut bait. The majority of the Amercan Jobs Act are proposals the republicans favored in the past. They can either seriously debate and pass them or they can once and for all show the American people what “do nothings they are.
Posted by: tferretti | October 3, 2011, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
TFERRETTI: You hit the nail on the head, the repugnicans are most certainly “do nothings”.
Posted by: Justuspofolks | October 3, 2011, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
Any Democrat that votes for this bill might as well sign their resignation letter immediately.
Posted by: Freedom | October 3, 2011, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
FREEDOM
There are provisions in this bill favored by both republicans and democrats. i.e. giving employers who hire veterans a tax break. If the republicans hold this whole bill up just to make sure that the president doesn’t get anything, the public will see it for what it is, more republican obstructionism.
Posted by: tferretti | October 3, 2011, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
Even the loony dems in congress don’t like this bill.
I know the fringers like it, but really, it’s dead.
Posted by: jonny | October 3, 2011, 6:10 pm 6:10 pm
tfrerreti…the repubs will take what they like and shelve the rest. obama should be happy with that.getting something is better than nothing. but obama will insist on all or none only to use it for his campaign. its so patently obvious to most of the public that all our money went to unions with the last stimulus bill and this wouldnt be any different. i wish it were so but its not.when you cry wolf too many times no one listens anymore. we are in that mode and most people now believe the government cannot stimulate anything. herman cains plan is something i thought obama should have come up with while vacationing for 3 weeks before unveiling the son of stimulus.
we needed something fresh rather than version 2 of the same thing.
Posted by: catman | October 3, 2011, 7:41 pm 7:41 pm
How is this jobs bill different from the last one that didn’t work? Does the proposal to spen $200k for each temporary 1 year or less job make sense? Has any Dem job bill worked in providing long term jobs?
Posted by: Dave | October 3, 2011, 10:41 pm 10:41 pm
Too bad so many Americans are completely stupid when it comes to politics. They need to ask themselves why Obama would briing up something now that couldn’t get through the Democrats before? What part of we need to cut spending does Obama not understand?
Posted by: CommonSenseParty | October 4, 2011, 1:23 am 1:23 am