The House overwhelmingly approved a measure to eliminate a much-maligned rule requiring government agencies to withhold 3 percent of payments to government contractors. This provision, which was included in President Obama’s $450 billion “jobs” bill, passed by a vote of 405 to 16.
Earlier this week, the White House announced its support of the House bill, as well as second measure to cover the cost of repealing the rule (about $11.2 billion over ten years) by tightening eligibility requirements for Medicare and other health benefit programs, which the House also passed today, 262 to 157. The idea was taken from the president’s most recent “deficit” package.
The House has now passed a total of 17 jobs bills that are still awaiting action in the Democrat-controlled Senate, and Republicans are hoping to ramp up pressure on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) to act. Repeal of the 3 percent withholding rule is the first item of Obama’s jobs bill to pass either chamber. The Senate has tried, and failed, to pass several other measures supported by the president.
“Repealing this tax is an important element of both our Plan for America’s Job Creators and the president’s jobs plan, and the Senate should pass it quickly so the president can sign it into law,” House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said in a statement. “But Senate Democrats shouldn’t stop there. The House has passed at least 15 jobs bills that are gathering dust over in the Democratic-led Senate.”
“The President has traveled the country telling Americans, ‘We Can’t Wait’ to pass some jobs bills,” said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.). “Well, we aren’t waiting. We continue to pass jobs bills. Perhaps it’s time for the President to deliver the ‘We Can’t Wait’ message to the other body in the Capitol.”
You want the Senate to act on your bills?
Try passing something reasonable.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo you admit that nothing in the president's job bill was reasonable?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI don't like that particular piece of it, given what I know about it. The parts that actually matter are probably going to be obstructed.
Calling a plan that changes a 3% withholding requirement the President's "jobs bill" is also misleading. That part is a tiny sliver of the bill and isn't going to have much impact one way or another. Maybe it is a good idea, maybe it isn't. I would have to study the issue more closely.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseStudy the issue very hard and carefully. Take you time. Don't rush. Consider all factors. We're patient. We'll wait.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOnce again David demonstrates is university class reading ability. Or should I say lack there of.
I never said that this bill constituted the entirety of the presidents phoney jobs bill.
I was responding to your claim that the reason the senate is passing these bills is because they aren't reasonable.
I shouldn't have to point out to you that the senate didn't pass the original phony jobs bill. It also hasn't passed any of the sub-bills that have been extracted from the phony jobs bill and presented as individual items.
I also note specifically, that this bill was taken directly from the phony jobs bill, and even had the support of the WH. It didn't pass the senate, which by the definition you provide above, proves that it isn't reasonable.
So once again, by your definition, since the senate didn't pass it, this proves that the phony jobs bill wasn't reasonable. Nor were any of the parts of it presented so far.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseStrawman coming ... Wait for iiiiiit ...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOn another thread he declared that he was going to support this provision, but couldn't since the Republicans wouldn't agree to raise the debt ceiling without conditions.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI truly wish Welker was a high level Obama campaign adviser. That would serve two (2) purposes - the second being less drivel on NR.
This cuts both ways - it makes Obama look "bipartisan" and less duplicitous (possibly staunching his growing credibility gap), but undercuts the whole "do nothing Republican Congress" meme constantly parroted by Democrats.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDarnit, no strawman from the Obama zombies who generally troll here, so I'll cover:
BUSH DID IT TOO!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBecause Harry Reid is such a reasonable fellow!
Hoo ha!
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"You want the Senate to act on your bills?
Try passing something reasonable."
Save it, David. When Obama stops whining for one second about the "Republican Congress" not passing his bills, then we'll talk about what's reasonable.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIs there a list somewhere of all of these bills?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYes. I saw one the other day.
I do not remember where though!
(Helpful post, no?)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWrong message, Leader Cantor The right answer is: "we're still waiting...for Harry Reid."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseReid isn't up for election - unfortunately. Obama is - fortunately.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHarry reid should be drawn and quartered.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseC'mon now. It's comments like these that make Republicans easy to caricature as nutty even if such characterizations are largely false. Be respectful, good sir!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDeath for treason is unacceptable to you?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSince it's pretty easy to argue that Reid has made a caricature of himself, maybe he should just be re-drawn.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHarry Reid has a job. Why should he care if anyone else does?
After all, if they started passing any jobs bills, people might become employed and less angry at the Republicans who are being blamed. Fewer votes for the POTUS, who sees economic anxiety as a winning issue, for him.
Reid could bring up every bill and defeat it, and avoid the charge that he isn't acting on the bills. But then people would realize that the bills are actually there, and that Republicans have been trying to help them. And Reid may realize that some of the bills would pass and start to help, so he can't have that.
I don't expect Harry Reid to run again. He's old, and getting older. He will spend his declining days keeping Republican legislation from improving things so that Democrats can blame them for the economy and anything else that happens.
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