Remember how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid predicted there’d be a vote on a jobs bill today? Well, maybe that was a bit premature.
Two major obstacles now stand between Democrats and the jobs package they’d like to pass before next week’s President’s Day recess: A ton of snow, and equally substantial GOP obstructionism. The question is: which will thaw first?
The snow has pushed the Senate floor schedule back at least a day–a significant amount of time given the crowded nature of the calendar. But Democrats still don’t have enough votes to overcome a filibuster, and unless they can win over at least one Republican, they may adjourn this coming weekend empty-handed.
What’s the hang up? Republicans are working with Democrats on one key aspect of the legislation: tax breaks for employers who hire new employees. But beyond such a measure, Republicans are balking at supporting a full package. And with Democrats now one vote shy of a 60-vote supermajority, they will need one GOPer to break ranks if they want the package to overcome a filibuster.
So far, Democratic rhetoric has been gentle. Last week, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said “You need two to tango. And you need Republicans for bipartisanship.”
“Hope is prospective,” he said. “We don’t have bipartisanship at this moment. I hope we’ll have it in a matter of minutes, hours, days.”
Days later, they still don’t have it. Which makes you wonder if and when leadership will pivot to directly call out Republicans for unanimously filibustering a jobs relief package when unemployment hovers at near 10 percent.
