Thread: Sen. McConnell Says GOP Might Support Jobs Bill (No EVerify)

Background:
Reid Jobs Bill gives Tax Breaks for Hiring Illegal Workers
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-188645-reid.html

Quote:
"Nowhere in Section 101, however, is there a requirement that the individual be legal. Nor does the language require that the employer use E-Verify to verify work authorization. The language appears to allow employers to receive tax breaks for hiring illegal workers or for importing foreign workers."


Sen. McConnell Says GOP Might Support Jobs Bill

Updated: 4 hours 4 minutes ago
Andrew Taylor
AP

WASHINGTON (Feb. 21) - The top Republican in the Senate said Sunday that GOP lawmakers "may well" vote for a jobs bill this week.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., prefers a costlier version drafted with GOP input and he didn't commit his support to advance the legislation on Monday to a final vote this coming week.

The pending measure would provide businesses that hire the unemployed a one-year break from payroll taxes and a $1,000 tax credit if those workers stay on the job for a full year. The cost is estimated at $13 billion.

The measure would extend a tax break for small businesses buying new equipment, provide a $20 billion infusion of highway and transit money, and help states and local governments finance big public works projects.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., upset Republicans this month when he scrapped a bipartisan measure that had many more proposals that weren't directly aimed at boosting job growth.

Reid dumped business tax breaks and other items on wish lists sought by lobbyists. But he also took out provisions to extend unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless and health insurance subsidies for the unemployed that expire on Feb. 28.

A key test vote looms Monday. It would take at least one Republican to advance Reid's pared back bill to a final vote on Wednesday. McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said Republicans may try to slow debate down and seek to restore provisions that have been dropped, and hope the measure could advance in a few weeks.

But a Reid spokesman said Reid won't bring back the full version negotiated between Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, which Reid criticized on a Nevada news program last week.

"The fat cats did pretty well," Reid said last week on "Face to Face with Jon Ralston," a Las Vegas news program.

The larger measure included about $33 billion in popular tax breaks, including an income tax deduction for sales and property taxes and a business tax credit for research and development, would be extended through 2010.

The tax breaks, more than 40 in all, expired at the end of 2009. They are routinely extended each year - the House voted to extend them in December - but the Senate never addressed them because senators were consumed by the health care debate.

McConnell appeared on "Fox News Sunday."

http://www.aolnews.com/politics/article ... l/19367010

There is time to let your own senators and Sen. McConnell know that protections for U.S. citizen and legal resident workers must be added to this legislation before it can be passed!

Contact information for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY):
http://mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact

February 18, 2010
What's up with the jobs bill?
Posted: February 18th, 2010 07:25 PM ET

From CNN National Political Correspondent Jessica Yellin

Sen. Harry Reid yanked his support for a bipartisan jobs proposal that a number of Republicans said they would support.

(CNN) A new CNN poll shows 84 percent of Americans believe Congress is not doing enough to tackle the nation's jobs problem.

This won't come as welcome news to them. When the Senate returns next week lawmakers will vote on a dramatically pared down jobs bill. Even in its diminished form – and despite enormous public pressure for Washington to act – that jobs bill may not pass.
Democrats said they are looking for the 60th vote to get it through the chamber.

What happened?

Last Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, yanked his support for a bipartisan jobs proposal that a number of Republicans said they would support.

There were a variety reasons Reid made this decision. But multiple Democratic sources told CNN a key factor was a meeting Wednesday night between Reid and Senate Minority Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. These sources said McConnell would not agree to bring the bipartisan jobs bill to the floor quickly and Reid became concerned the Republican leader would drag out the process and the bill would ultimately fail.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/20 ... VSIEYruj3g


"The caucus was tired of one or two Republicans supporting something so they can say they are working with Democrats, while McConnell and the other Republicans dump all over us," one Democratic source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said of Democratic senators.
That's a reference to the extended, but fruitless negotiations over health care reform.

It is apparent McConnell and Reid had very different timetables for the jobs bill. Reid wanted it passed before the Senate went on break last week. McConnell told CNN last week he thought it would "take a few weeks" and he added that "we're not quite ready to go forward."

So is this a case of Republicans publicly calling for a jobs bill, but privately working to derail it?
Absolutely not said those close to McConnell.

Neither Reid's nor McConnell's offices would offer comment about the private conversation.

Republican Senate aides insist Democrats did not need McConnell’s support to pass the bill, because other Republicans including Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Orrin Hatch of Utah were publicly supporting the bill and GOP Whip John Kyl said that while did didn’t support all parts of the bill, “it contains elements that are important to all of the people in the Senate.â€