Jobs bill, infrastructure repair and bank 51-47 Senate vote

[Riot]

Part of the Rebuild America Jobs Act, containing Republican proposals of $10 billion to establish an infrastruture bank, and the Republican proposal of $50 billion in immediate job creation funding for roads, bridges and airport construction projects, Constitutionally passed by a majority vote of 51-47 today in the Senate.

However, as the Republicans are filibustering every single thing the Democrats try and pass, just because they want the Democrats and Obama to fail, this bill failed as it didn't get 60 votes to overcome cloture.

Way to go, Republican party! including members Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman. What a disaster, what a useless mess, what a shame on this country, this political party has become.

[dellinger63]

Bravo! We have wasted enough money. If we have the $50 billion to spend put it towards the debt Obama has created, to the tune of $5 trillion.

[Danzig]

from todays paper:

'After Republicans blocked Obama's infrastructure plan, the president's Democratic allies immediately refused, on a 53-47 vote, to advance a Republican plan to extend federal highway, public transportation and surface transportation programs for two years, ease some environmental rules and give Congress more oversight of agency rule making. It would have been paid for by rescinding $40 billion in unspent funds appropriated for other domestic programs.'




yep, it's all the republicans fault. yepyepyep.

[somerfrost]

Politicians of both parties acting like spoiled children while the country suffers, nothing new but certainly more obvious in difficult times, have to wonder if these folks are so arrogant as to think this type of behavior can be tolerated forever?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

from todays paper:

'After Republicans blocked Obama's infrastructure plan, the president's Democratic allies immediately refused, on a 53-47 vote, to advance a Republican plan to extend federal highway, public transportation and surface transportation programs for two years, ease some environmental rules and give Congress more oversight of agency rule making. It would have been paid for by rescinding $40 billion in unspent funds appropriated for other domestic programs.'

yep, it's all the republicans fault. yepyepyep.

Hardly any reasonable comparison. The Republican bill was nothing more than "approve current funding" for some stuff, and cut funding massively for others, and cut regulations - so "job creators feel more confident with less regulation". Not one job created there by the GOP. Just deregulation and funding cuts.

The GOP alternative continued funding transportation and other infrastructure projects at current levels, but also ended a highway beautification program and delayed or eliminated various federal regulations, including a number of environmental rules.

It was criticized by environmental groups, which charged that the legislation rolled back key federal regulations protecting public health and safety and did not spur job creation. Republicans said that reducing federal regulations would help businesses create jobs by lowering their costs.

[Danzig]

don't misunderstand riot. i have no great love for the reps, i think they're a sorry lot. where you and i differ is that you seem to think the dems are the opposite. i do not. i think they're a sorry lot as well.
both parties might have a good apple somewhere mixed in the usual harvest of wormy, mushy fruit. hard to find them tho, and they seldom get anything accomplished, as party politics come to the fore.

you mentioned in the initial post that it was obstructionist per usual. was it a good bill? a good idea? we have the not-so-super committee working to reduce debt, did this add to it or reduce it? supposedly the republicans wanted to shift unused funds from elsewhere (that exists?!?! unused money, really??). i just feel that most likely there is more to the story. a suggested idea isn't necessarily a good one.

i have been out of the loop the last two weeks, having been out of town for more job training, etc have to play catchup...but i have to assume, knowing the n-s-s committee is 'working' that perhaps no new spending bills will move thru at all til they've announced their suggestions. yeah, i can't wait for that!! ha!

I will break Riot out of the false left-right paradigm. It will take time but she's got potential.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

don't misunderstand riot. i have no great love for the reps, i think they're a sorry lot. where you and i differ is that you seem to think the dems are the opposite. i do not. i think they're a sorry lot as well.

The Dems are very different from the GOP, but not opposite or inherently good. Are the two parties the same? Not in the least. That's where we differ, I think. You think they are the same, I do not.

The former Republican party is gone. Jon Huntsman used to be a "conservative" Republican. All that's left is wholly-owned corporate lackey's and John Birch Society members. Michelle Bachmann? Herman Cain? Rick Perry? Seriously? That party is over and done. That's happened before in this country, political parties die and reform all the time.

The Dems? They have about 2/3 of wholly-owned corporate lackeys, indeed. But they are not trying to make this country run under their evangelical brand of religious law, they are not try to end multiple rights of Americans, not trying to steal the last social programs we have to give the money to their corporate masters, are not the Big Government ownership party of spend and spend recklessly.

you mentioned in the initial post that it was obstructionist per usual. was it a good bill? a good idea?

I think it (the Dems proposal from the Jobs Act) was an excellent deal. In fact, the Republican party, before 3 years ago, thought those things were an excellent deal, too, and supported those very same ideas.

Two-faced hypocrites, obstructing the President just for political reasons and not even being shy about saying it in public.

we have the not-so-super committee working to reduce debt,

They are a do-nothing joke, like our historically-notable do-nothing House. Nothing will come of that committee. It was just a way for the House and Senate to pawn off responsibility on others.

These guys don't realize it, but for many of them, their careers are alot more done and over than they think. They have zero pulse on what is happening out in this country. The Republican party has repeatedly voted against multiple ideas that are strongly supported by the majority of the American public. They are completely cocooned in Washington, completely clueless. It will be a rude awakening for most of them, to be unemployed next year.