#1 five Republicans on board, Senate moves jobs bill forward
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 7:22 pm
CSMonitor
[quote]In a surprise move, five Republicans broke with party leaders Monday to move a $15 billion jobs bill to the Senate floor.
It’s the first vote on a major bill since Republican Scott Brown became a senator, meaning that Senate Democrats lost the 60 votes needed to block a Republican filibuster. In the end, they didn’t need that set of votes. The move to allow debate on the bill passed 62 to 30.
The bill gives a one-year Social Security tax break to businesses that hire unemployed workers, and it allows small businesses to write off up to $250,000 for equipment that they purchase.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts, the GOP’s crucial 41st vote, voted with Democrats. “I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families," he said in a statement.
"This Senate jobs bill is not perfect,â€
[quote]In a surprise move, five Republicans broke with party leaders Monday to move a $15 billion jobs bill to the Senate floor.
It’s the first vote on a major bill since Republican Scott Brown became a senator, meaning that Senate Democrats lost the 60 votes needed to block a Republican filibuster. In the end, they didn’t need that set of votes. The move to allow debate on the bill passed 62 to 30.
The bill gives a one-year Social Security tax break to businesses that hire unemployed workers, and it allows small businesses to write off up to $250,000 for equipment that they purchase.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts, the GOP’s crucial 41st vote, voted with Democrats. “I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families," he said in a statement.
"This Senate jobs bill is not perfect,â€