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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada arrives for a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington Oct. 5 to discuss President Barack Obama’s jobs bill.
By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Related stories
Sun Coverage
Sen. Harry Reid plans to bring up President Barack Obama’s jobs bill this week, and he’s going to do it his way.
Reid has the difficult task of trying to strong-arm resistant Republicans while assisting a Democratic president who doesn’t always consult him on the feasibility of his initiatives before he rolls them out.
Enter the jobs bill. Obama unveiled during a speech to a joint session of Congress in early September his plan to inject $450 billion into the economy by directing the funds toward infrastructure, which would create construction jobs.
Obama has since taken the refrain of that speech: “Pass this jobs bill!” on a campaign tour of the country.
But that’s on the road. In the Senate, “pass this jobs bill” — in the sense of go ahead, try to pass this jobs bill — has also taken on the tone of a threat from Republicans, who believe they can vote it down.
For the past month, Reid has been ignoring both as he and Democratic leaders craft an alternative.
Sometimes it’s been subtle: Two weeks ago, Reid deflected questions about his plans for the jobs bill by talking about a jobs agenda headlined by a bill to censure China for unfair currency-manipulation practices.
Sometimes it’s been explosive: Last week, Reid dropped a “nuclear option” procedural move to make it impossible to offer nontopical amendments to legislation after it has cleared setup votes. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, it just so happens, was trying to force a vote on Obama’s jobs bill in its original form by offering it as an amendment to the Chinese currency measure.
The majority leader has been reminding the public on a near-daily basis that McConnell has made defeating Obama next November his No. 1 priority.
But McConnell isn’t the only one putting Reid in a tight spot. It’s not easy to sell a stimulus bill to Congress while it’s also attempting to tame deficits. That task is even harder because the president proposed paying for half of his bill with reductions in war spending due to the drawdown in military operations: a funding stream lawmakers ultimately eschewed for accounting purposes during the debt-ceiling debate.
The jobs bill the Senate expected to vote on this week substitutes Obama’s plan with a new proposal to pay for it: a 5.6 percent surtax on millionaires — the top 0.4 percent of wage earners in America — which would start in 2013. It would almost cover the cost of the jobs bill, $445 billion of the $450 billion.
Republicans are expected to oppose the policy — and as of last week, Reid didn’t even expect every Democrat to sign on.
But in revising the measure Reid has made arguing against it more uncomfortable: When Republicans say they voted against Obama’s high-priced, so-called jobs bill, Democrats are sure to retort something like yes, you voted against American jobs that were paid for, to protect the profits of millionaires.
harry
you wont improve the terrible jobs situation until immigration change their protectionism against foreign investors looking to open business in vegas and employ people
Nevada has the highest unemployment, the worst education system, the highest place that was over build in the housing industry and people say "way to go Harry"? If people remember in the first stimulus package, Harry Reid made a statement in Congress about returning to searchlight and seeing his persimmons trees blossom. You still think Harry is out for your best interest?
Comment removed by moderator. Same (or similar) comment posted on multiple stories.
Is this a "news article" or a Reid love letter?
Just asking......
@blister8
Since only 7% of the private sector is union,how do you figure this is buying union votes ?
Also,where does Sen. Heller stand on this ?
The headline really should have read, "Blindsided by the Boss---doing damage control!"
The Republiklans are too busy setting up racist rocks outside their ranches and figuring out who to hate next. They only care about the billionaires.
Harry is only toiling to line his and his cronies pockets.
Its a tax bill not a jobs bill. If the gov kept giving handouts to everyone we wouldn't need to raise taxes.
We've been waiting for more then three years for the "private sector", i.e. churches, corporations and the wealthy to step in ahead of the Government and put people to work.
That didn't work in the Great Depression and it doesn't work now. The churches were mad as hell at FDR for taking away potential converts all they could offer were prayers. When the minister broke the loaf of bread, he only got two smaller parts of the loaf. When he broke a fish, he got only two smaller parts of the fish. Feeding the multitudes with a few loaves of bread and fish only works in print, not in the daylight and the private sector takes care of themselves first.
Only the Government can for a unified force that puts the country back in order. China is getting very powerful these days.
Good luck, Harry. Cooler heads will prevail and we won't piss another trillion dollars down the rathole. Obama needs to go to save this country.
Harry and Barry can go save another country, I for one have had enough of their help. 7% of the private work force is union and 45% of government employees equalling about 15% of the working population, but they managed to receive 85% of the stimulus.
I agree. This is basically a tax bill, not a jobs bill. These are are not jobs being driven by a market. They are jobs being created with taxpayer loot..and they are only temporary jobs. Once the 400 billion runs out, good bye job
The recession will probably just have to run its course. Obama, Reid, McConnell, Bohner...they are all institutionalized government employees just towing the line to keep their power, keep their perks and keep their office. These guys are not out to change a corrupt government system built on who pays who. From $5,000 a plate dinners to millionaire fundraisers...every single one of them ahould be voted out of office. Take the money out of politics. Maybe then something can be done.
Good job, Senator Reid.
The Republican elected officials in the Senate NEED to go down on paper, on the written record, for all to see, that they are against unemployed Americans getting a job.
They can make up excuses from now til kingdom come, but the truth of the matter is they are only interested in party politics.
They fully intend that millions and millions of Americans do not get jobs. All so they can prevent one person from being employed next year.
This makes the entire Republican Party despicable.
There was a recent poll where they asked people what GOP stood for. Only 51 percent correctly identified it as the "Grand Ole Party."
I really think that was actually the second choice.
The actual abbreviation was GOPOTPAWMAMAKYHOIIM*. But that was too long, so they decided on GOP.
*Stands for Got Our Piece Of The Pie And Want More And More And Keep Your Hands Off It, It's Mine.
Americans don't need another tax, we need tax reform.
A surtax on millionaires might be a more politically palatable method to pay for the American Jobs Act but at the same time it creates more problems by making our tax code more complicated. Don't fret; there is a more sensible way for Congress to accomplish what it needs to.
By eliminating all tax breaks (except a standard deduction for living expenses), reducing the number of tax brackets, and lowering the income tax rate government can collect the necessary revenue from millionaires to support a jobs program while at the same time accomplishing the necessary overhaul of our tax code. These adjustments will create a flatter yet still progressive income tax that cuts spending by eliminating tax expenditures (http://eng.am/pxo5XL) and raises revenue over time by increasing tax compliance. (http://eng.am/nz0KaJ)
If the American people can get Congress to reform the tax code to promote growth and support our struggling economy for decades to come then this will all have been worth the political battle.
Colin, If you only understood what you write.
Sure tax the wealthy; I could careless. The thing a myopic liberal like you doesn't understand is that the same clowns in congress who are going to shove this bill down our throats are also.... WEALTHY.
They are going to watch each others back while we continue to devour each other in the partisan tripe you foment.
Keep blaming the Republicans, easy low hanging fruit. Why don't you do a little heavy lifting and criticize Obama for his complete lack of leadership. He is so invested in the blame game that he can no longer see his way out.
I guarantee you this; before the ink is dry on taxing the rich, loopholes will be firmly in place to void the tax increase. We are just pawns.
Obama is, sadly, not a leader in the slimmest of respects.
Maybe Greid could stop the job-killing EPA instead of another round of ineffective stimulus spending.
But he obviously can't connect the dots either.
As a result of EPA's Destructive Regulations"These rules will make electricity more expensive and less reliable.They will cost thousands of workers their jobs, and require consumers to pay more for electricity. At least, they will fulfill the President's campaign pledge to make the cost of electricity 'necessarily skyrocket'
http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.or...
If you want to find out what a real news article on the topic looks like then go to the link below.
Otherwise drink some kool-aid while reading this Sun Reid love letter.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administrati...
I liked the part where Harry Reid said, "if we pass this bill, unemployment would drop below 9%"... The humorous part is the first stimulus wasn't suppose to raise unemployment above 8%.
People should be in prison, this is getting ridiculous. Everyone knows it.
Should we wait for the republitards plan? Oh wait I know whatr it is. More tax breaks for the elite. Look how well trickle down has worked.
You have to be blind not to see that the game is rigged for and by those who can afford to buy the politicians.
It seems like the president and Harry are the only people jn Dc that see 30 million Americans out of work As an issue. If you collect a paycheck and vote republitard you are a fool
Harry needs to get this 'jobs bill' passed so he can get on with the serious bidness of his [and Barrys] open door policy for migrants fron Mexico and central America and the free trade agreements [Viet Nam] that will assure us that we need jobs?
Perhaps he should be working on a bill that provides for unlimited unemployment benefits!
Great work harry, the jobs bill is to pay for things like the desert express..so go ahead and waste those rich peoples' money on your pork barrel crappy project.
In the end, Harry the hater became Harry the Traitor and voted No!! So now even the president knows Harry is untrustworthy and will turn on any one at any time.
Just to show how far off this "news article" was...today the Senate voted down Obama's "jobs" bill because Reid could not get enough DEMOCRATS to vote for it.
Mark..........
You no nothing about how the Senate works.
The majority leader had to change his vote,seeing
that it did not get 60 votes to pass, so it can
be brought up again.
The greedy republican dogs proved to Americans
that they are anti-American worker.
We need to vote out every heartless republican
and the two Democrats who voted against the
jobs bill.
These dogs need to hang their sorry heads in
SHAME.
THANK GOD FOR HARRY REID.
HARRY REID IS THE MAN.
Harry and Obama.....Pathetic.
Greedy, heartless republicans.....Pathetic.
The bottom line question is: Are we better off today than we were $4 trillion dollars ago?
And, how likely is it that we'll be better off when that number becomes $5 trillion or more?
Sooner or later, we have to begin to live with a balanced budget. We simply cannot continue to
borrow each year to fund the govt. and then keep
piling on more debt with more irresponsible spending. And, then to keep raising the debt
ceiling to accommodate even more spending while
passing along the problem to future generations
to resolve is short-sighted and selfish. The
$14.5 trillion federal deficit is our problem
and we need to start working on it now - not later - not via some dreamed up 10 yr plan that
no one will follow. Remember PAYGO and all the
hype that went with it? Well, PAYGO didn't last
3 weeks. For the present, neither Congress or
the White House can be trusted to come up with
real solutions to our real problems. What we
have before us is considerable fluff with very
little substance or merit.