And Now, For Some Good News: Senate approves portion of Obama's jobs plan - Polidicks

[URL]http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-senate-jobs-20111111,0,3760937.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fnation+%28L.A.+Times+-+National+News%29[/URL] [QUOTE][B]Senators vote to repeal a business tax and to give companies tax credits for hiring unemployed military veterans. The House is likely to approve the provisions.[/B] Reporting from Washington— The [URL="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/u.s.-senate-ORGOV0000134.topic"]Senate[/URL] on Thursday overwhelmingly approved provisions of [URL="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/barack-obama-PEPLT007408.topic"]President Obama[/URL]'s jobs plan that found rare bipartisan appeal, including a proposal to give companies tax credits for hiring unemployed military veterans. The veterans package proved too irresistible for [URL="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/parties-movements/republican-party-ORGOV0000004.topic"]Republicans[/URL]to block, as they have most other pieces of Obama's $447-billion jobs package.The 94-1 vote on the eve of [URL="http://www.latimes.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/wars-interventions/veterans-day-EVFES000170.topic"]Veterans Day[/URL] came as the jobless rate among Iraq and Afghanistan vets remains in double digits, higher than the 9% national unemployment rate. Obama's proposal was bolstered by attaching a popular House-passed bill that would provide job training for vets."It's the right thing to do," said Sen. [URL="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/jon-tester-PEPLT006535.topic"]Jon Tester[/URL] (D-Mont.), who co-sponsored the measure.Leaders tacked the veterans legislation onto another popular provision of Obama's proposal — the repeal of a business tax, set to take effect in 2013, on companies that contract with the government. The overall package sailed through the Senate, 95 to 0. Both proposals now go to the GOP-led House, which is expected to give its approval, possibly next week. Thursday's votes offered a reprieve in the bipartisan war over Obama's jobs package, which has run into strong resistance from the GOP in Congress. Senate Republicans have stood unified in their opposition to most of Obama's proposal, and the House has agreed to consider only certain provisions. Republicans have blocked some provisions that polls show are popular with the public, such as more federal money for cash-strapped states to keep public school teachers and firefighters on the job, and Obama's call to jolt the economy with new infrastructure spending on roads and bridges. Republicans said those programs would not create jobs, and preferred a strategy that involved halting federal regulations and cutting taxes to boost the sluggish economy. A few [URL="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/parties-movements/democratic-party-ORGOV0000005.topic"]Democrats[/URL] joined the blockade in the Senate, opposing a surtax on households earning beyond $1 million a year to pay for the new programs. But pairing the veterans provisions and adding them to the business tax repeal created an opening for common ground.The legislation would award companies a $5,600 tax credit for each veteran they hired who had been unemployed for at least six months. A smaller tax credit would be offered for bringing on vets who had been jobless for less than six months.Companies also would be offered a $9,600 tax credit for hiring out-of-work veterans with service-related disabilities. Democrats further smoothed the offer by dropping the proposed millionaire's tax to pay for the package. Instead, the nearly $2-billion cost will be covered by extending a Veterans Administration loan fee, as proposed in the House bill.The business provision would repeal a 3% withholding tax on companies that contract with the government. It was first approved during the [URL="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/presidents-of-the-united-states/george-bush-PEPLT000857.topic"]George W. Bush[/URL] administration, but had yet to be enacted.Business leaders opposed the tax, but congressional Democrats and Republicans initially argued over how best to cover the cost of deferring or repealing it. The Senate ultimately agreed to the House-passed version. Republican [URL="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/scott-p.-brown-PEPLT000750.topic"]Sen. Scott Brown[/URL] of Massachusetts, who sponsored the business legislation, said he hoped Congress would build momentum from this moment of comity."For one day, at least, partisanship will lose," he said. Though the measures have broad political appeal, experts said they were not likely to make a sizable dent in the economic outlook.[/QUOTE]

Why is passing anything like pulling teeth?

[QUOTE=Lambeth;33226992]Why is passing anything like pulling teeth?[/QUOTE] And for that matter, why are our politicians like really shitty dentists?

[QUOTE=Lambeth;33226992]Why is passing anything like pulling teeth?[/QUOTE] I suppose because if they pass it, it shows it's acceptable and thus good, and Republicans don't wantObama to pass anything good...?

[QUOTE=Lambeth;33226992]Why is passing anything like pulling teeth?[/QUOTE] cause republicans

[QUOTE=DoctorSalt;33227027]I suppose because if they pass it, it shows it's acceptable and thus good, and Republicans don't wantObama to pass anything good...?[/QUOTE] It's so they can blame him later for not doing anything.

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;33227614]It's so they can blame him later for not doing anything.[/QUOTE] Yep. I'm being hesitant to say it though because it's difficult to actually prove such a thing since it's more subtle than that.

wow it took them two months to approve one line of the plan round of applause

[quote][B]Republicans have blocked some provisions that polls show are popular with the public[/B], such as more federal money for cash-strapped states to [B]keep public school teachers and firefighters on the job[/B], and Obama's call to jolt the economy with new [B]infrastructure spending on roads and bridges[/B]. [B]Republicans said those programs would not create jobs, and preferred a strategy that involved halting federal regulations and cutting taxes[/B] to boost the sluggish economy.[/quote] [img]http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/1556308700/meme-are-you-kidding-me_normal.png[/img]

[QUOTE=valkery;33227012]And for that matter, why are our politicians like really shitty dentists?[/QUOTE] "Oops, sorry. I seem to have drilled through your gums.

[QUOTE=valkery;33227012]And for that matter, why are our politicians like really shitty dentists?[/QUOTE]"Now see, your gums are bleeding because you don't brush enough when I poke at your gums with my sharp tools"

And for now, a reality check: The House votes it all down and passes another Medicare repeal, just because.

[QUOTE=Shiftyze;33228036]"Now see, your gums are bleeding because you don't brush enough when I poke at your gums with my sharp tools"[/QUOTE] Well actually dentists do say that. Your gums become soft when they don't get brushed. Congress would be more likely to shove the thing in your ear and claim that earwax is linked to dental health when you ask them what the fuck they're doing.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;33228198]And for now, a reality check: The House votes it all down and passes another Medicare repeal, just because.[/QUOTE] I'll go get something valuable to smash.

[QUOTE=Lambeth;33226992]Why is passing anything like pulling teeth?[/QUOTE]Passing legislation is like passing a kidney stone... the size of a football.

Repeal a business tax? It's good that they're also providing tax incentives for hiring unemployed veterans, but why are we cutting a tax?

[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33228692]Repeal a business tax? It's good that they're also providing tax incentives for hiring unemployed veterans, but why are we cutting a tax?[/QUOTE]Probably one of the very few parts of the bill that they had any realistic chance of passing amid a Republican majority in the House.

[QUOTE=Lambeth;33226992]Why is passing anything like pulling teeth?[/QUOTE] After having some wisdom teeth pulled a few months back, i have to say, passing anything in the us senate is much much worse, than pulling teeth. It's more like... hmmm a colonoscopy? Except the end isn't a camera, but a jagged grouping of razors.

[QUOTE=DiBBs27;33232215]After having some wisdom teeth pulled a few months back, i have to say, passing anything in the us senate is much much worse, than pulling teeth. It's more like... hmmm a colonoscopy? Except the end isn't a camera, but a jagged grouping of razors.[/QUOTE] And they mixed up 'colo' with 'uro'