Democrats Eye 2010 Jobs Bill

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Democrats

(CBS)

With unemployment now above 10 percent, Senate Democrats are planning to craft a new jobs bill next year, according to a report in The Hill.

Majority Leader Harry Reid said at the Senate Democrats' weekly lunch Tuesday that he is now exploring a job-creation initiative, Sen. Ben Cardin told the newspaper. Cardin said "our caucus will take it up."

What will be in the bill – or when it might be introduced – is not yet known. Sen. Patty Murray , D-Wash., told the Hill that no final decision about legislation has yet been made.

Reid, whose approval rating at home stands at just 32 percent, is among the vulnerable Democrats going into the 2010 midterm election season. The weak economy is working against him, as is the fact that the president's party traditionally loses Congressional seats in midterms. In Nevada, the unemployment rate is 13.5 percent.

Once the health care battle wraps up the Democrats had been expected to address both climate change and regulatory reform, and adding an ambitious jobs bill to the agenda would make for a crowded docket. The Hill speculates that the climate bill could get pushed back if a jobs bill is taken up.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by endurorob_5 November 12, 2009 9:02 AM EST: The only jobs the government creates is government jobs or tax payer funded jobs (yes I know government jobs are tax payer funded). The idea of the government creating jobs just for the sake if creating jobs is pointless. You get paid by way of tax revenue and you pay taxes so you can get paid. Real jobs are created by the private sector. They need to find ways to encourage the private sector to hire. I know the libs hate hearing it but lower taxes encourage companies to invest and hire.; Reply to this comment

by Stevenapoli7 November 12, 2009 4:45 AM EST

Hopefully this is not a ruse to expand the government work force. I know, I know...keep hoping.

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by endurorob_5 November 12, 2009 9:04 AM EST: What else do you think they would do. You know the dems are unwilling to lower taaxes to stimulate real job growth so the only option they have is government and government funded jobs.


by Joutue November 12, 2009 12:33 AM EST: By joutue November 11,2009 11:26 PM

That should have been the first thing on Obama's Agenda, jobs for the american people. In stead of listening to AL Gore on Global warming
and going green, which has lost millions of jobs for the people.
Then he should have kept his promise on the iraq war and our troops coming home. Also on Repealing the Bush tax cuts for the rich.; Reply to this comment

by rightbehind November 11, 2009 10:14 PM EST

Why not! The republicans sure know how to put their friends to work. No bid contracts and halliburton.

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by rbichamp November 11, 2009 10:48 PM EST: And the Dems have already stolen enough through their buddies at Goldman Sachs.

And now they are the ones with no bid contracts. Just look up John Murtha.

The only true way to create jobs is to lower taxes, especially corporate taxes. Why do people that are getting hand outs not get how the economy works. Just look at history to see how to get out of a recession and how to prolong a recession.

Creating government jobs, although they look good on paper, does not solve the problem. We are following the Europeans and their failed mistakes that lead them to bankruptcy. Now, they have learned their lessons and going back to Capitalism.


by iSlate101 November 12, 2009 2:22 PM EST: rbichamp, Lowering taxes doesn't create jobs. Companies dont hire people just because they got a tax break, they just pocket it. Would you hire more cashiers if nobody was in line or another line assembly man when your not selling products, NO!!! Why does Nevada have the highest unemployment rate when they have no state tax???????????????? Nevada and Texas are the most business friendly states. Stop watch beleiving everything Fox news tells you.


by jgg000015 November 11, 2009 9:41 PM EST: I guess that first stimulus that had to be rushed through without anybody having the time to read it or else unemployment would hit 8% didn't work, eh; Reply to this comment

by rbichamp November 11, 2009 9:09 PM EST

So we want to spend another trillion dollars to create jobs? What a joke! They'll do anything to try to get votes!

The last stimulus bill worked out to cost about $60,000 per job created. And many of these jobs are by growing the government so they are not going to pay for itself. It just means that every year, they are going to have to spend money to pay the salary for that job which means more debt.

The only real growth is through the private sector. There, you have jobs created as businesses are making money. Real taxes are collected from these jobs.

That's the main problem with these job creation bills. You can't give money that you don't have so someone can have a job. Eventually, you have to pay back that money! Look at California as they've tried these gimmicks and are now bankrupt! Wouldn't it be great if instead of a tax return check you get an IOU. Or instead of someone's welfare check, they get an IOU. Sorry you can't cash it now but some day in the future you can get money for it. A lot of good that will do!

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by curse914 November 11, 2009 10:52 PM EST: @rbichamp

It is not just about buying votes; it is about the revelation that our infinite growth based economy is DOA. Free Trade was a myth and so to that a service based economy can generate sustained growth. There will have to be a fundamental shift in our economic model or complete collapse is eminent. 24 percent unemployment will seem tame in comparison.


by rbichamp November 11, 2009 11:03 PM EST: I agree in the fact that free trade only hurts our economy. The US should and can be self sufficient. There's not much that we can't produce on our own. So what if the cost of some goods go up a bit as long as they are made in the US. This would give a huge boost the the economy and create tons of jobs. We don't need to import things that can be made in the US.

Worse is that the Dems are now trying to kill agriculture in some parts of California. Instead of growing fruits and vegetables, they are putting the farmers out of work and want to import fruits and vegetables from South America or china. How messed up is that?

by stn_sage November 11, 2009 7:35 PM EST

SO, the Democrats are going to craft a jobs bill in 2010, huh?!

Well...since it WAS a major campaign theme of President Obama's...WHY are you WAITING until 2010?! Committees from both branches of Congress should have been working on this feverishly upon his election!!

Only NOW...does the work begin...IN 2010!! Folks, AM I the ONLY ONE who sees a 'work ethic' problem with this Congress?!

They seem to find the time to go to FREE luncheons and fundraisers...but they don't seem to have the time to bring the nation to an equal level with the rest of the modern world in health care or to work on other vital aspects of the public's business!

I'm very DISAPPOINTED in this Federal Government...they ARE letting us ALL down...regardless of your political affiliation!

So, I say, 'you drop that darn climate bill if you have to Mr. Reid, but you darn well better get a 'jobs creation bill' on the floor, pronto!

Because if you don't...the next majority leader probably WILL!

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by retm-w November 11, 2009 8:46 PM EST: Just in time for some of their elections.

by vpcharan November 11, 2009 7:17 PM EST

Mr. Reid and fellow blue dogs should note that if they do not pass a healthcare bill with strong, robust public option, they can count for their destruction in 2010 no matter what job bill they pass or not pass. Healthcare reform, regulatory reform and climate change are top priority legislations to fix the economy for long-term. They also need to revamp the tax code which is filled with loopholes for people to hide money and pay no taxes. We are fighting two wars for the last 8 years and the rich have been enjoying the biggest tax cut in history for the last 8 years. How can you give tax cut and fight two wars? This question was answered in the last years election and it is high time to repel tax cuts effective from 2010. President Obama must also break his campaign pledge of no tax increase for people making less then $250k. In fact, all people who are making more than $100K should count on paying higher taxes, if this nation has to fix the runaway deficit and debt. When millions of Americans are loosing jobs, these politicians are planing how to keep their jobs on the backs of future American generations. It is shame. Both Democrats and GOP are unfit to govern and they deserve no respect. They must be kicked out of the office at the polls.

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by californiadreaming November 11, 2009 10:03 PM EST: Loopholes in the tax code? Show me one! Get real here. The wealthy and the middle class have been paying for most of everything these days. Something like the top 5% or taxpayers pay 95% of taxes? I guess they haven't found those loopholes that everyone talks about! CNN did a study a couple of months ago showing that 47% of taxpayers in the US won't pay a dime in 2009! Harry Reid is not a blue dog - or anything close. He is a career politician that would totally mortgage this country if he could. As far as wars go, its time we stopped fighting and withdrew our troops ASAP. We need to realize that (just like the Europeans) we cannot afford to spend hundreds of billions a year (and countless lives) on wars that do nothing.


by rbichamp November 11, 2009 10:59 PM EST: Well said! The top 10% pay 80% of the taxes! They are the ones that control how the economy goes. They are the ones that spend and invest. You raise their taxes and they spend less and put their money in other places. That trickles down to the middle class and then the poor and results in fewer jobs.

Lower taxes and the rich spend more, invest more and this has always created jobs and grown the economy. All you have to do is look at history to see this is true.

And totally agree about the troops as well! Either go in and kick ass and win the war. Don't worry about what others think, just win even if it means bombing and more bombings. Do what they did in WWII and bomb the cities and force an unconditional surrender. You can't fight a war trying to be PC. That is why Vietnam failed so miserably and why Bush failed so miserable. They will respect you when you won!

Or pull the troops out!


by us_1776 November 11, 2009 7:15 PM EST: The problem that we have is that so many small businesses have been negatively affected by the economic crisis. And these small business normally rely on smaller banks. And although there was a bailout of the big banks (who actually caused a lot of this entire crisis), nothing was done for smaller banks. And so now hundreds of smaller banks have failed.

In addition, many in-flight small business startups over the past few years have failed due to the fact that the early stages of a business are the most vulnerable. So we need help for startups. We need help for small businesses.

Just today one of our local construction companies who is a well known family business and has been a good local employer and in business for decades is closing. It is just heartbreaking to see this type of thing happening.; Reply to this comment


by rightbehind November 11, 2009 6:58 PM EST: The smartest thing they could do is pass a good health care bill with a robust strong public option. Small businesses are being gouged by the medical industry. Looking forward to sending some republicrats packing.; Reply to this comment