Obama’s jobs program stalls in Congress

[dtotire]

Obama’s jobs program stalls in Congress
By ANDREW TAYLOR

The election-year jobs agenda promised by President Barack Obama and Democrats has stalled seven months before voters determine control of Congress.

Democrats have no money to pay for the program. That’s because both Republicans and the Democratic chairman of the Senate Budget Committee objected to taking money left over from the fund that bailed out banks, automakers and insurers and using it for the jobs bill.

Such a move, they insisted, would add tens of billions of dollars to the $12.8 trillion national debt.

An $80 billion-plus Senate plan promised an infusion of cash to build roads and schools, help local governments keep teachers on the payroll, and provide rebates for homeowners who make energy-saving investments. Two months after the plan was introduced, most of those main elements remain on the Senate’s shelf.

Obama’s proposed $250 bonus payment to Social Security recipients is dead for the year, having lost a Senate vote last month.

What’s going ahead instead are more modest initiatives. That includes some help for small business or simple extensions of parts from last year’s economic stimulus measure. None is expected to make an appreciable dent in an unemployment rate, stuck at 9.7 percent.

Even legislation to help the jobless has run into trouble.

The idea of a jobs agenda arose late last year when the unemployment rate hit 10 percent and Democrats voiced concern that the majority party wasn’t doing enough to spur job creation.


http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/26811

[HughMoran]

1. So Republicans complain about jobs, block all attempts to do anything, propose nothing

...except perhaps tax cuts, which caused the massive deficit in the first place (what's the difference between spending and cutting income??). Republicans are ass holes.

[Berry Cool]

3. And then they will handily blame Obama for the unemployment rate

and claim his "tax-and-spend" policies have done nothing to help people get jobs. Which the Republicans would do, of course--because they have a plan that will work--tax breaks for the rich.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

[Daveparts still]

4. The Senate Bill

is 85% tax cuts for big business, a nickel for you a dollar for them. If a Republican President were in office the Republicans would be leaping over each other to support it. Personally I think that tax cuts are not the answer they didn't work for Bush and probably won't work under Obama. Hoover tried the same plan, low interest loans and tax cuts for big business and platitudes for the masses.

[whattheidonot]

5. employment quick

there has to be a sizable up tick in employment or The Dems will lose seats. no a bad thing because 2012 will bring them back. Obama has to move away from Wall Street or he will lose. Surprised this has not already happened. a lot is about the monetary policy and that has not changed . Still ticking away for Wall Street. Business hire as few as possible. they do it now more than ever. Government has to step in to get things going more than this.

[Joanne98]

2. Who's the Dem?

[Hestia]

6. Just throw us to the wolves...