@GOP kills $35B teachers, first responders jobs bill in Senate. “It seems all we care about is scoring political points to be used in the next election” #p2 #tcot

from http://www.reddit.com/r/progressive/comments/ljlrc/gop_kills_35b_teachers_first_responders_jobs_bill/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66526.html

Joe Lieberman voted against the $35 billion package, which was blocked on Thursday. | AP PhotoClose

By MANU RAJU | 10/20/11 10:47 PM EDT

President Barack Obama's jobs agenda hit another roadblock in the Senate on Thursday night, as the two parties remained locked in a bitter stalemate with the economy sputtering and tens of millions looking for work.

In their first attempt to advance individual pieces of the president's sprawling American Jobs Act, Democrats fell short of the 60 votes needed to move forward a $35 billion package for states and localities to hire and prevent the layoffs of teachers and first responders.

A united GOP Conference, along with three members of the Senate Democratic Caucus — Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) — voted 50-50 to block a debate on the package, which would have been funded by a 0.5 percent surtax on those earning more than $1 million.

"It seems all we care about is scoring political points to be used in the next election," said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). "Shame on us if the blame game is the best thing that we can do."

The vote is another blow to Obama's jobs agenda, as he struggles to find a new antidote to the economy after nearly four years of an unprecedented push by Washington that has so far failed to lead to a sustained recovery. And as the economic problems dominate his presidential campaign, the president has struggled to find consensus in a gridlocked Capitol, including in the Democratic-controlled Senate where the $35 billion plan garnered one fewer Democratic vote than his $447 billion proposal.

The Senate on Thursday night also rejected by a 57-43 vote a separate portion of the president's jobs bill, pushed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), eliminating a much-criticized rule allowing federal and local agencies to withhold 3 percent of payments to contractors.

Ten Democrats, which included a mix of moderates and those up for reelection, voted for the McConnell plan, but 60 votes were needed to break a Democratic-led filibuster.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66526.html#ixzz1bR2c0wrk

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66526.html#ixzz1bR2YGsDz