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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/Press Association Images

US senators vote down Obama's jobs bill

The demise of Obama’s jobs package was expected, despite his campaign-style efforts to swing the public behind it.

UNITED AGAINST BARACK Obama, Senate Republicans voted last night to kill the jobs package the president had spent weeks campaigning for across the country, a stinging loss at the hands of lawmakers opposed to stimulus-style spending and a tax increase on the very wealthy.

The $447 billion plan died on a 50-49 tally that garnered a majority of the 100-member Senate but fell well short of the 60 votes needed to keep the bill alive. The tally had been 51-48, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., switched his vote to “nay” so that he could force a future revote.

The demise of Obama’s jobs package was expected, despite his campaign-style efforts to swing the public behind it.

The White House and leaders in Congress were already moving on to alternative ways to address the nation’s painful 9.1 per cent unemployment, including breaking the legislation into smaller, more digestible pieces and approving long-stalled trade bills.

“Tonight’s vote is by no means the end of this fight,” Obama said in a statement after the vote. “Because with so many Americans out of work and so many families struggling, we can’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Common ground

The White House appears most confident that it will be able to continue a 2-percentage-point Social Security payroll tax cut through 2012 and to extend emergency unemployment benefits to millions of people — if only because, in the White House view, Republicans won’t want to accept the political harm of letting those provisions expire.

White House officials are also hopeful of ultimately garnering votes for the approval of infrastructure spending and tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed veterans.

“Now it’s time for both parties to work together and find common ground on removing government barriers to private-sector job growth,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said after the vote.

Democrats Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jon Tester of Montana — both up for re-election next year in states where Obama figures to lose — broke with their party on Tuesday night’s vote. Every Republican present opposed the plan.

Earlier in the day, Obama capped his weekslong campaign for the measure in an appearance typical of the effort — a tough-talking speech in a swing state crucial to his re-election. Like earlier appearances, it seemed aimed more at rallying his core political supporters heading into the election than changing minds on Capitol Hill.

“Any senator who votes no should have to look you in the eye and tell you what exactly they’re opposed to,” Obama said to a union audience in Pittsburgh. “I think they’ll have a hard time explaining why they voted no on this bill — other than the fact that I proposed it.”

A jolt

Democrats were not wholly united behind the measure. In addition to Nelson and Tester, Sens. Jim Webb, D-Va., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who aligns with Democrats, said they oppose the underlying measure despite voting to choke off the filibuster.

Obama’s plan would combine Social Security payroll tax cuts for workers and businesses and other tax relief totaling about $270 billion with $175 billion in new spending on roads, school repairs and other infrastructure, as well as unemployment assistance and help to local governments to avoid layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police officers.

Obama said that the plan — more than half the size of his 2009 economic stimulus measure — would be an insurance policy against a double-dip recession and that continued economic intervention was essential given slower-than-hoped job growth.

“Right now, our economy needs a jolt,” Obama said. “Right now.”

Unlike the 2009 legislation, the current plan would be paid for with a 5.6 percent surcharge on income exceeding $1 million. That would be expected to raise about $450 billion over the coming decade.

“Democrats’ sole proposal is to keep doing what hasn’t worked — along with a massive tax hike that we know won’t create jobs,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday, saying there are 1.5 million fewer jobs than when Obama’s 2009 economic package became law. “Why on earth would you support an approach that we already know won’t work?” McConnell said.

The White House and Democratic leaders, however, were pleased that the great majority of Democrats voted for the plan. Support among Democrats was shored up by replacing Obama’s tax increases — particularly a proposal to limit the value of itemized deductions for families making more than $250,000 — with the surcharge on annual income over $1 million.

Further votes

That millionaires proposal would hit about 392,000 households, according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank. In 2013, the first year the tax would take effect, those wealthy households would see their taxes increase by an average of $110,500, according to the analysis.

Just before the vote on Obama’s jobs plan, the Senate passed legislation aimed at punishing China for keeping its currency undervalued against the dollar. Lower-valued currency helps Chinese exports at the expense, bill supporters say, of American jobs.

Next, both the House and Senate will turn Wednesday to approving trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea that could create tens of thousands of jobs, one of the few areas of agreement between Republicans and the administration on boosting the economy.

In coming weeks and months, Democrats promise further votes on jobs. But it remains to be seen how much of that effort will involve more campaign-stoked battles with Republicans and how much will include seeking common ground in hopes of passing legislation.

Leaders of the GOP-controlled House have signaled they support tax cuts for small businesses and changes to jobless insurance to allow states to use unemployment funds for on-the-job training. And they’ve indicated they’ll be willing to accept an extension of cuts to the Social Security payroll tax. But stimulus-style spending is a nonstarter with the tea party-infused chamber.

Tuesday’s vote played out as disaffected crowds continued to occupy Wall Street, a square in Washington and parts of other cities around the country in protest of income inequality and related issues.

Obama advisers said they were working with Senate Democratic leaders on how and when to break out separate aspects of the overall jobs bill for votes.

Even before Tuesday’s defeat, the White House was casting the Senate vote as but the first act in what one Obama adviser called a long-term play — essentially, an autumn full of action to force Congress to take action on jobs. Senior Obama officials said it was important for the Senate to act to keep pressure on the Republican-led House.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., was recuperating from surgery and did not vote.

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12 Comments
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    Mute Donie Keyes
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:50 PM

    Now this is the duo for the Eurovision instead of Nicky nobody! Raw natural talent can’t be beaten! Well done lads.

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    Mute Owen Lynch
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:34 AM

    These lads can chant .

    10
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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:58 PM

    don’t kill their careers before they even start

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    Mute James Darcy
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:06 PM

    Good man Glen and Co! Brother Ben would be proud!…

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    Mute Louise Ní Riain
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:10 PM

    Brilliant

    117
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    Mute Oran Joyce
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:09 PM

    Whenever I see a singer with his hands in his pockets I just know he’s going to be ace.

    103
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    Mute Chantelle Hughes
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:19 PM

    Just, wow!! Gave me chills.

    92
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    Mute Andrew Farrell
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:15 PM

    Heard these lads a couple of years ago, absolutely brilliant, these are international stars, they would sell worldwide, keep it up lads, big things expected

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    Mute Mondoburley
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:00 PM

    AdeadlyAdelemAdeley

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    Mute John O Neill
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    Mar 5th 2016, 3:59 PM

    Adele better watch out

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    Mute REA North*s
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:09 PM

    Stunning !

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    Mute Eddie Barrett
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:18 PM

    Fabulous voices

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:31 PM

    Very good and very different.

    43
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    Mute Denis Silver
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    Mar 5th 2016, 11:39 PM

    She brought them up on stage today and got them sing the medley …result standing ovation and even more respect for Adele

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    Mute john dunne
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:18 PM

    Genius

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    Mute Kevin Lynch
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:04 PM

    beautiful

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    Mute Mark Fitzmaurice
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:23 PM

    Fair play lads. Gorgeous

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    Mute Has-an
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:12 PM

    What a voice.

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    Mute moe
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    Mar 5th 2016, 7:08 PM

    That was class lads . Fair play to yeh .

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    Mute Christopher murray
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    Mar 5th 2016, 8:29 PM

    They have some covers on YouTube under the name trillogy too. Well worth a look

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    Mute Has-an
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:13 PM

    What a voice!

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    Mute Stephen Luco
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    Mar 5th 2016, 7:59 PM

    Very Good

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    Mute Del Haven
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:34 PM

    Ronan is very good but Glenn’s where the money’s at.

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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:31 PM

    Ronan is a fabulous composer, Glen’s voice is pure velvet

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    Mute cníchi
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    Mar 5th 2016, 10:39 PM

    Lovely harmonies

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    Mute Catherine O'Connor
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    Mar 5th 2016, 8:58 PM

    WOW!!!

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    Mute Scott Kincaid
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:59 AM

    I just keep seeing James Corden.

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    Mute D'Murph
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    Mar 6th 2016, 10:15 AM

    Exceptional… We should send these two to the Eurovision.

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    Mute Patrick Agnew
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:14 PM

    The guys in the high kings group would wipe the floor with them. They are very good though.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:23 PM

    High Kings = plastic paddies

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