Jobs bill passes Senate — with 13 Republican votes
posted at 11:56 am on February 24, 2010 by Allahpundit
Only five Republicans voted for cloture on Monday, but once passage was assured, the dam burst. Let the “RINO” cries issue forth!
“We’ve had so much gridlock,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), co-author of a key portion of the bill. Now, he said, “finally we have something” bipartisan to show the public.
The legislation is the first element of what Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) has said will be a multipart “jobs agenda.” The measure includes a new program that would give companies a break from paying Social Security taxes on new employees for the remainder of 2010. It also carries a one-year extension of the Highway Trust Fund, an expansion of the Build America Bonds program and a provision to allow companies to write off equipment purchases…
“There are plenty of opportunities for bipartisan cooperation,” [Lamar Alexander] said. “Where we have trouble are these great big, comprehensive, 2,000-page, full-of-surprises, turn-the-country-upside-down pieces of legislation that cost so much. If the administration would stop biting off more than it could chew, I think we would have more progress.”…
“I think it’s going to depend on the nature of the bill and on whether he’s going to try to freeze out the minority party,” Cornyn said, adding that he would advise against reading too much into Monday’s vote: “Frankly, I just don’t think it was all that big of a deal.”
Here’s the roll. It was the funding for highway projects, I think, that made the difference. Republicans voting yes: Alexander, Bond (who’s retiring), Brown, Burr (up for reelection), Cochran, Collins, Hatch(!), Inhofe(!!), LeMieux, Murkowski, Snowe, Voinovich, and Wicker. We went over the politics of this the other day — it’s a relatively cheap fig leaf for jobs creation, so some Repubs used it to purchase bipartisan cred for themselves — but the true test will come if and when Pelosi and Reid go to conference committee to reconcile it with the House bill, which is literally 10 times more expensive. Will Scotty B bite the bullet and vote for that too? I’m guessing no, but his statement after today’s vote suggests anything is possible:
We need to put partisanship aside to put people back to work. This jobs bill is far from perfect, and ideally would include deeper and broader tax cuts. I supported this measure because it does contain some tax relief that will help Massachusetts businesses put people back to work. Right now, this is a tax-cutting bill. But if it comes back to the Senate full of pork, waste, fraud and abuse, I reserve the right to vote against it.
The Facebook response from fiscal cons has not been forgiving thus far. Follow the link and note the slogan in the sidebar. Exit question: You know who might have something to say about this later today?
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OK, I can see how you feel that was a lie. Only problem with it is that one person’s definition can be different than another’s. For instance, you could very well think things are OK that I think are not. Wouldn’t necessarily mean you lied to me, just that we see the line in a different place.
mwdiver on February 24, 2010 at 2:06 PM
They’re a pretty sneaky bunch…let’s see… ( :
Healthcare Jobs Bill
Climate Change Jobs Bill
yoda on February 24, 2010 at 2:14 PM
Very Clintonesque approach.
I think Beck is right in that people allowed their hopes to mislead them into trusting this guy. I have serious questions as to his promise to vote against Obamacare.
If they allow Mass to opt out, as they already have Romneycare, would Scott Brown vote for it?
sharrukin on February 24, 2010 at 2:14 PM
Well, I am certainly no Clinton fan (Bubba or Shrillary.) I don’t see this as a discussion of the meaning of ‘is.” You really are not comparing the definition of “is” to what a definition of “fiscal conservative” would be, are you?
mwdiver on February 24, 2010 at 2:19 PM
No, just poking you in the eye!
sharrukin on February 24, 2010 at 2:21 PM
A week or so ago someone posted that the dems were attaching amendments to the Jobs Bill to make it easier to Pass card check in the future (If my memory is correct). Does anyone know if that happened?
Guest1.1 on February 24, 2010 at 2:26 PM
There was no reason for any Rep to vote for this awful bill.They just can,t stop spending no matter what the people want.With every thing going for the Rep this was just a insane vote.Now you know why in D.C. most people call the Rep especially the one,s in the sen.the stupid party.
thmcbb on February 24, 2010 at 2:31 PM
With the Republicans in the minority, we don’t get to see what their jobs bill would look like. With Scott Brown as the first Republican elected in Massachusetts in over 50 years, we might get a majority, maybe not in 2010, but very soon. It’s a far cry from “the GOP is dead!” like we heard in 2008.
chunderroad on February 24, 2010 at 2:36 PM
I never want to hear another moderate urge me to vote for Republicans again, because they’re not Democraps.
I agree with Beck.
Brown doesn’t understand either. People wanted to vote for him because of what he said. Why are we surprised when politicians lie?
But get this…
Brown didn’t use the TEA Partiers to get elected.
The TEA Partiers used Brown to halt The Bill.
dominigan on February 24, 2010 at 2:37 PM
I am afraid that our economy is gonna have to collapse before we get serious about this pork spending.
IlikedAUH2O on February 24, 2010 at 2:43 PM
They aren’t looking at the big picture.
1. The Republicans have been saying the Obama administrations priorities should be jobs not healthcare.
2. They are also the minority party, largely branded as The Party of NO.
3. The American public in general wants to see government trying to help them. They are frustrated with both parties.
4. Massachusetts voters did not send Scott Brown to the Senate to push a conservative agenda. He is a moderate from the northeast who won because he Democrats supported him.
5. Even conservatives who donated to Scott Brown have got what they wanted so far. Republicans can filibuster bigger issues like healthcare and cap and trade bills.
6. This jobs bill has tax cuts in it. Maybe not the kind supply side economics fans would like, but the Democrats conceded more than they had to.
7. The bill still has to go through reconciliation, come back from the House and have another vote in the Senate.
8. Scott Brown has not voted on that bill yet.
9. Scott Brown has not voted on the healthcare bill yet.
10. Scott Brown is better than Martha Coakley.
It is just weird that so many people are upset about things that have not even happened yet, and complaining like the GOP has a majority and no looming elections.
chunderroad on February 24, 2010 at 2:49 PM
Good point…
TheBigOldDog on February 24, 2010 at 2:50 PM
I knew there was a reason I like you. It is in equal proportion to my dislike for Glen Beck and his followers :)
chunderroad on February 24, 2010 at 2:52 PM
Call this what it is: another government jobs bill that will end up putting more people in state jobs where their salaries are paid for with tax-payer dollars.
Giving businesses a tax credit in a recession like this is stupid. IF it’s being done to get them to hire more people.
If a guy has 25 employees and he’s been struggling the last year to keep from having to let any of them go, what good does it do for you to give him a tax credit and tell him “Use this to hire more employees.”
What’s he going to tell you?
“The demand for goods/services in my industry has not increased. I was struggling to keep the employees I already have busy enough to keep from having to let any of them go. If it hire MORE PEOPLE now, what work will there be for them to do?”
What will happen is any people hired will only be hired temporarily and then let go again when the money runs out.
All these jobs bills do is suck more money out of the private sector and then waste it.
manofaiki on February 24, 2010 at 3:32 PM
Here’s some CBO Econ 101 for those that say no harm, no foul in Republicans adding another $15 billion to our deficit spending because it’s going to supposedly create jobs.
1) Revenues/Outlays
2) Unemployment
3) Revenues by source
Now, what’s happened in the last two years compared to the last sixteen? Exactly! Democrats got complete control and Republican’s in name only started to feel more okay with openly spending like drunken sailors with impunity. So far, those Republicans have been right. But after Arlen Specter changed party affiliations, they should realize that that’s a dangerous gamble they’ll be making come November. I don’t care how many times Libertarian elitist candy a$$ beta males tell me we need a Big Tent and the Republicans can only elect squishy Centrist McCainnites. I say, not that big. Not that big.
Sultry Beauty on February 24, 2010 at 3:33 PM
Sorry. Here’s 3) Revenues by source
Sultry Beauty on February 24, 2010 at 3:37 PM
Most Americans facing double digit unemployment would say that is better than nothing.
chunderroad on February 24, 2010 at 3:41 PM
Heck of a riff.
nico on February 24, 2010 at 3:43 PM
Congress still thinks the Government can grow the economy. I guess we know now that the GOP incumbents didn’t get the Tea Party message.
hawksruleva on February 24, 2010 at 3:45 PM
There are a lot of delusional people posting here. You really think voting for this bad bill will remove the “party of no” label? Umm….yeah, SURE it will, lol.
Put down the crack pipe and get a clue. Dems controlled every branch of government for a year, and could have passed pretty much anything they wanted without one Republican vote, yet the storyline is it’s Republican’s fault. Wake up. The only way that label goes away is if Republicans join in to pass health care. According to some here, I guess they should…you know, so they won’t be seen as the “party of no”.
Here’s an idea…instead of playing political games by voting for a bad bill in the hopes that they will suddenly be viewed as the stewards of bi partisanship, how about manning up and standing behind the CORRECT decision to vote no on bad bills instead of running for cover because of what Democrats might say? Why the hell are we apologizing and cowering for being Republicans, and for doing the right thing?
Oh, and apparently the drinking didn’t end when Teddy’s seat changed hands. It’s clear to me now Brown will vote for a government run health care bill. Count on it.
xblade on February 24, 2010 at 3:48 PM
Congress is expecting employers to hire people in order to get a $5,000 signing bonus on new hires. If they’re hiring people at $25,000 a year, how good of a deal is that?
hawksruleva on February 24, 2010 at 3:48 PM
I guess you don’t know. We are already in double digits. Keep up on current affairs much?
upinak on February 24, 2010 at 4:02 PM
More likely, it won’t even create new hiring by the states. It’ll just delay some firing.
hawksruleva on February 24, 2010 at 4:04 PM
I would say, more paying for pensions on a crap Teir system that obviously doesn’t work.
upinak on February 24, 2010 at 4:06 PM
I hope you’re a woman – because your post just made me fall in love with you!
You are spot on friend! Scott Brown “sold out” to the Democrats in the tradition of his political mentor … John McRage. Brown voted to spend 15 Billion of our grand kids money on another porkulous bill that won’t create or save a single job.
Yet most HotAir kiddies say … “Ah … it couldda been worse”.
Yeah – it very well could have been – and it also could have been a lot better. How about Republicans showing us that they GET IT? How many times did Scott Brown say, on the campaign trail, that we’re OUT OF MONEY??
This is a direct reflection on the Republican Party. Yeah – I know that the majority of Republicans voted against this. Yeah – I know that there’s a “difference” between Obama and Mike Pence.
But I also realize that Mike Pence prolly won’t be the GOP nominee in 2012 – in fact – the GOP nominee will come somewhere from this “minority” within the party that votes to KEEP SPENDING MONEY MY KIDS DON’T HAVE … like Scott Brown.
New Flash – you nominate one of these idiots – and millions of conservatives like me will cast our vote for a third party, or write a name in and then go pop our popcorn and watch Obama get re-elected on election night in November 2012.
I hope the GOP receives that message LOUD AND CLEAR.
HondaV65 on February 24, 2010 at 4:17 PM
Why would anyone (besides a committed Obmanite Liberal-Marxist) vote for this piece of crap?!
It’s not as if it’s going to work and those who vote against it are being fiscally responsible or “cheap”.
IT IS CRAP AND WON’T DO ANYTHING FOR ANYONE THESE WEASELS CLAIM IT’S GOING TO HELP!!!!!
Dr. ZhivBlago on February 24, 2010 at 4:18 PM
They will once the world figures out what to do about the reserve currency issue.
DFCtomm on February 24, 2010 at 4:19 PM
Ok he’s from Mass! I get that!
But, to try to make your bones as an independent and shout “Look at me! I’m bipartisan!” from the roof tops, when Hairy Reed rejected every GOP amendment or proposal in this bill.
That, Scott, does not make you an ideology, it makes you an idiot!
PS. It’s a shame his daughter is taking pages from Megan McCain’s playbook, because I’m sick of her already!
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on February 24, 2010 at 4:56 PM
…
13 Republicans vote for a bill that will kill jobs. Joy.
/
Count to 10 on February 24, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Barky Obama and the Democrats have brought us to the point where many of us can say “only” 15 billion dollars.
How many average Americans’ entire federal tax burden does it take to make 15 billion dollars? A married person earning 40K with one deduction for himself has about $2600 taken out of his paycheck (now I’m not talking about what kind of other tax filing activity is going on, just the straightforward tax). At that rate, it takes almost 385,000 people to cough up a billion dollars.
Let’s get some perspective on this, because I KNOW that Congress has lost theirs. They’re sophisticated.
By the way, that’s what Obama wants to spend on a new embassy in Great Britain (a country he doesn’t even like).
disa on February 24, 2010 at 8:26 PM
Beck is right. Progressivism needs to be purged from the GOP too.
This is our chance to improve the GOP. If we can’t do it for 2010 and/or 2012 and this kind of stuff continues, it will inevitably lead to a third party down the road.
Beck is right about Progs in the GOP. Short-term though we have to defeat mods/libs in the GOP primaries for 2010.
Sapwolf on February 24, 2010 at 11:11 PM
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