For all that it’s popular today to play partisan politics, it’s clear that some officials in Congress are actually listening to voters. Newly elected Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) knows that a significant issue in his most recent election was the economy. That’s likely why he – and four other Republican Senators (Kit Bond R-MO; Susan Collins R-ME; Olympia Snowe R-ME; and George Voinovich R-OH) – reached across the aisle to vote yes on a procedural measure meant to create new jobs. One Democratic Senator, Ben Nelson (R-NE), voted no.
As previously noted, the main feature in the proposal is a payroll exemption for employers who hire previously unemployed workers. The idea is a counterproposal to Obama’s initial suggestion of a jobs tax credit and is more popular due to the perceived lesser opportunity for abuse.
Of course, since it’s Congress, they’ve also tucked a few extras onto the bill, like the funding of highway and transit programs and tax break extensions for businesses that spend money on capital investments.
Notably absent from the bill is an extension of unemployment benefits and COBRA subsidies; if not extended, those benefits will run out on February 28 for more than one million people. Expect a debate on that in the next few days.
