This story is becoming old. For the third time, congressional Republicans blocked another part of President Obama’s Jobs Bill.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans in the Senate Thursday dealt President Barack Obama the third in a string of defeats on his stimulus-style jobs agenda, blocking a $60 billion measure for building and repairing infrastructure like roads and rail lines.
Supporters of the failed measure said it would have created tens of thousands of construction jobs and lifted the still-struggling economy. But Republicans unanimously opposed it for its tax surcharge on the wealthy and spending totals they said were too high.
The 51-49 vote fell well short of the 60 votes required under Senate procedures to start work on the bill. Every Republican opposed the president, as did Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska and former Democrat Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who still aligns with the party.
Although they try, these Republicans still cannot keep the American people down. Reports out today found that the unemployment rate fell, from 9.1% to 9%. A small drop, but given the Republican’s goal of making this president fail by destroying the middle class, any reduction in the unemployment figures are welcomed news.
