What do you do when you find yourself between a rock and a hard place? What do you do when you know what needs to be done, but must convince others of your plan, before work can be done? What do you call it when every decision you make must be checked, approved, and cosigned by board members, whose job is to dissect every little thing you do? What do you when people are crying out for help, for answers, for jobs, and congress won’t pass the bill? Amend it, and bring it back a second time.
Two strikes with one to go, it seems President Obama finds himself at a heated point in the game where the odds are against him. According to the hill, for the second time in two weeks, Senate Republicans voted in unison to block “jobs” legislation, which the Obama administration and Senate Democratic leaders have made central to their agenda. Democrats then blocked a second "jobs" measure offered by Republicans. Ten Democrats failed to give Republicans the three votes, leaving them short of the 60-votes needed to proceed.
President Obama’s first job bill was declined in a 50-50 vote after two democrats Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Independent Joe Lieberman (Conn.) slid across the bases joining the team of the republicans voting nay against the measure 57-43.
The previous vote, much like the second, neglected to persuade a solitary republican vote to switch teams.
"For the second time in two weeks, every single Republican in the United States Senate has chosen to obstruct a bill that would create jobs and get our economy going again," Obama said in a statement released after the vote. "That’s unacceptable." His second ally on his team, first lady Michelle Obama being the first, Vice President Joe Biden aided in the battle to get people to see the job bill as a way out and not a deeper grave held a public meeting with Senate Democrats where he accused Republicans of protecting millionaires at the expense of the working class.
The $35 billion job bills was established in hopes of preventing the layoffs of teachers, police officers and firefighters in cash-strapped states. Most of the$30 billion funding, would have gone to saving teaching jobs, with the rest of the money directed to first-responders.
"Every Senate Republican voted to block a bill that would help middle class families and keep hundreds of thousands of firefighters on the job, police officers on the streets, and teachers in the classroom when our kids need them most," Obama countered in his statement.
CNN reports that Senator Barbra Boxer of D-California released a statement saying: "Republicans have once again said no to creating jobs in America and no to helping the American people. They have turned their backs on our children and the safety of our communities by blocking a bill that would put 400,000 teachers, police officers and firefighters back to work."
The backing for the bill would have been covered by a 0.5% tax increase from those earning $1 million or more a year. Republicans opposed the tax increase, their revisions offering a 3% withholding requirement for all government contractors.
"Every American deserves an explanation as to why Republicans refuse to step up to the plate and do what's necessary to create jobs and grow the economy right now," Obama said.
Who is going to explain to me, why I am out of work?
Why I am sitting on the sideline out of the game, with no food for children, because I wasn't given a shot to prove myself?
Who is going to explain that to me? I am waiting.....
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