Roll Call Of U.S. Senate For Jobs Bill That Passed 70-28
When Congress wants to act quickly, they can. And they can do it with Republicans voting for a Democratic initiative. Watered down though it may be, and minus the critical UC extension benefit, the jobs bill passed today 70-28.
After my post yesterday about the stalemate in the Senate that greets every bill, the outcome was one small step forward to a more sane environment…..at least for a day.
Thirteen Republicans joined 55 Democrats and two independents voting in favor.
The measure would give employers a temporary exemption from payroll taxes for newly hired workers who had been unemployed for 60 days or more. It also seeks to spur spending on public works projects and to encourage business investment by accelerating tax write-offs.
Though modest in scope, the bill was hailed by Democrats as evidence that after months of impasse, Republicans and Democrats can find some consensus on pressing domestic issues.
“For the first time in a long time, we have a bill that is supported by both Democrats and Republicans,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate and a co-author of the main provision on payroll taxes.
So they passed the so called jobs bill?
The bill contain two major provisions. First, it would exempt businesses hiring the unemployed from the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through December and give them an additional $1,000 credit if new workers stay on the job a full year.
Thought the Medicare tax hikes are huge compared to the “jobs” bill, what stops a company from firing some existing workers then hiring them back after a couple of weeks just to get the tax breaks?