[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15314-15315]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           AMERICAN JOBS ACT

  Mr. REID. Madam President, Republican obstructionism was once again 
in evidence last night, and it has cost this Nation millions of jobs.
  Last night, Republicans blocked the American Jobs Act, President 
Obama's plan to create 2 million jobs by giving tax cuts to businesses 
and middle-class families and investing in modern roads, bridges, and 
schools.
  It is not the first jobs bill they have blocked this Congress, 
although I hope it will be the last. But it seems as if the Republicans 
do not really want to put Americans back to work. They believe a weak 
economy means a weak President. So even though they have supported each 
piece of the American Jobs Act in the past, they blocked this job-
creating legislation in the hopes of doing political damage to the 
President.
  But we have not given up on creating jobs in America, and we will not 
let Republican political games stand between Congress's most important 
duty: to put 14 million Americans back to work.
  Passing the American Jobs Act would have been a step in the right 
direction. Economists of every stripe agree it would have impacted the 
economy immediately and put up to 2 million people back to work.
  Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's and economic adviser to 
Senator John McCain's Presidential campaign said this:

       Given the high odds of another recession in the next few 
     months, it is vital for Congress and the administration to 
     provide some near-term support to the economy.

  Zandi says the American Jobs Act could shave a percentage point off 
the unemployment rate. Conversely, he warned that without immediate 
action the likelihood is high of a double-dip recession. So the last 
thing we should be doing right now is wasting time, but that is what 
Republicans are forcing us to do.
  Last night, a majority of the Senate voted to take up this bill. But 
Republicans will not put politics aside for a moment, even when the 
price of their stubbornness is struggling families and failing 
businesses.
  I say it again: Democrats are not going to give up on creating jobs. 
We will introduce the American Jobs Act piece by piece.
  I had two conversations last night while the vote was taking place 
with Republicans, and both Republican Senators said they would like to 
join in moving some pieces of this legislation. So we are going to do 
that, and I am glad to see there is some interest by my Republican 
colleagues in doing that.
  Many of the ideas we will advance will be proposals Republicans have 
supported in the past, as I have already indicated. I think they will 
have to explain to the American people--at a time of record 
unemployment--why they continue to oppose job-creating tax cuts for 
small businesses and the middle class and other proposals they have 
supported in the past. So, as I said a minute ago, I look forward to 
working with my Republican colleagues in moving forward parts of this 
bill they like. At the end of the day, if they do not do this, their 
motive will be crystal clear: politics.
  So I hope Republicans will be able to see past partisan posturing to 
support their own past proposals when we consider them individually in 
the next few weeks.
  Take, for example, the payroll tax cut. My friend, the Republican 
leader, has supported payroll tax cuts in the past. Most Republicans 
have. This is what my friend, the Republican leader,

[[Page 15315]]

said about the same tax cut in 2009. I quote:

       It would put a lot of money back in the hands of businesses 
     and in the hands of individuals. . . . Republicans, generally 
     speaking, from Maine to Mississippi, like tax relief.

  So that is part of the American Jobs Act.
  Another Republican Senator sponsored a bill to give tax credits to 
businesses that hire out-of-work veterans. Yet that same Republican 
Senator voted against the same proposal last night. It was part of the 
bill last night.
  Republicans have supported these proposals in the past. They should 
have supported them yesterday. But Democrats care so much about 
creating jobs that we will give our Republican colleagues another 
opportunity to do the right thing, and we will move forward in the best 
way we can to put these matters before the American people, if 
necessary, piece by piece.

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