Jobs Plan Unveiled By House Progressive Caucus

[ProSense]

Elise Foleye

Jobs Plan Unveiled By House Progressive Caucus

WASHINGTON -- The Congressional Progressive Caucus released a plan on Tuesday that would create jobs, invest in clean energy and rebuild American infrastructure -- and has little to no chance of passage. Still, the jobs package, a farther-left alternative to President Barack Obama's jobs plan, could provide a negotiating point as the president's bill moves through Congress in the coming weeks.

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"(Obama) must insist that we have nothing less than what he presented, along with the additions we're talking about here," Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) said. "This is an emergency, we must do it, and we cannot cut this baby in half. ... The whole proposal is what we must have."

At issue for these House members is the proposed payroll tax cut for employers, which could hurt the revenue stream for Social Security. But they were careful to say that they support the vast majority of the president's bill, despite some concerns about how it will affect key entitlement programs.

"We think (Obama's bill) is a wonderful first step. We'd like to strengthen it and make it bigger," said caucus Co-Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.).

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Ellison uncomfortable with Social Security tax cut

WASHINGTON - While almost all Democrats agree with President Obama that creating jobs and reducing unemployment should be a priority, some of the most liberal members of the Democratic coalition, including DFL Rep. Keith Ellison, are concerned about the President's proposal to extend and expand the payroll tax cut which funds Social Security.

Until this year, employees and employers each paid a 6.2 percent tax on wages that went toward Social Security. Under a temporary tax deal struck last December, the employee side was cut for one year to 4.2 percent to boost the economy by slightly fattening workers' paychecks. President Obama's new plan would further cut the tax to 3.1 percent on both employers and employees through 2012, at a cost of $240 billion.

At a Capitol Hill press conference this morning, Ellison emphasized his support for much of the President's agenda but said he's concerned about the proposal.

"I am worried that it could set up a long term problem for Social Security," said Ellison, "As a strictly temporary measure, I could live with it for a little while."

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[ProSense]

1. No comment? n/t

[vroomvroom]

2. Like DU The Rest of America just Ignores Progressive Proposals

[styersc]

3. A good strategy. Push to the left as we will be pushed back.

As long as we end up left of the center and moving in the right direction.

[ThomCat]

4. Yet again, reporters take it upon themselves to announce

that any proposal from a member of the progressive caucus, "can't pass" solely because of who proposed it. That always has to be mentioned, just to slight the members of that caucus.

When the President adopts republican proposals, the applaud and talk about how wonderful and how serious it is to adopt proposals, while never talking about how harmful they are.

When there is any chance of adopting proposals designed to help people without causing any of that harm, they have to get in their digs. They have to create the self-fulfilling prophecy from the very beginning to ensure that anything coming from the left starts out on the defensive and never gets taken seriously. x(

This is why we keep moving to the right. The media participates in moving us to the right.

[Phx_Dem]

5. What took them so fucking long? They wait until Obama unveils his plan, then

step all over it by unveiling a competing plan, which has no chance of passage. Lame.

[chill_wind]

6. They asked to meet with him before his speech.

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/angry-house-progressives-ask-meet-oba

They got the same reception to that request that the GOP did.

I think Grivalva's been pretty gracious, despite that.

"We think is a wonderful first step. We'd like to strengthen it and make it bigger," said caucus Co-Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.).

The Schakowsky Plan has been out there a few weeks already. It's been talked about some here on DU, although, like The People's Budget, not surprisingly little. Still, this isn't exactly news that the Progressive Caucus would be working on actual progressive proposals, despite the Third Wayers and Centrists who will end up running the show.

Part of the Progressive Caucus plan is incorporated in the Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act, a bill sponsored by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). That bill, set to be formally introduced in the House on Tuesday, would create more than 2 million jobs, paid for with higher taxes on millionaires and billionaires, Schakowsky said.