Congressional Liberals Playing Hardball on Jobs Bill

Two powerful liberals in the House of Representatives are fed to the teeth with the refusal of the Senate to pass a jobs bill that is the only hope of avoiding a Great Depression.

First, retiring Rep. David Obey responded to House of Lords obstructionism with "No money for jobs? Then no money for wars."

John Nichols at The Nation explains:

House Appropriations Committee chair David Obey, who has made no secret of his discomfort with the Obama administration's plans to dramatically expand the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, has moved to put a hold on the president's request for new war funding.

Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat whose home-state party last week went on record as opposing any additional war funding, says he will not advance the supplemental spending request until action is taken to address urgent domestic needs. Among the domestic priorities is new education assistance to avert teacher layoffs this fall, a $24 billion package of state Medicaid assistance and the extension of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed.

Obey, who has been increasingly outspoken with regard to his concerns regarding excessive U.S. spending on wars abroad while needs at home go unmet, told reporters Tuesday that he planned to withhold action on the war funds while congressional leaders and the administration reach some sort of agreement to advance a sweeping economic relief bill that would extend the jobless benefits and provide tax breaks aimed at promoting job creation.

"It is a huge problem for me."

Read the whole thing.

Then, Nancy Pelosi announced her intention to turn the Senate's obstructionism back on them in the cause of obtaining a jobs bill.

Susie Madrak at Crooks and Liars:

You go, girl! When I read this earlier, I thought, "Why are the Dems giving this away without using it as a bargaining chip?" Once again, we see that the Speaker is the only one with real cojones:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struck a combative tone tonight, rejecting the Medicare "doc fix" passed hastily through the Senate Friday until Senate Republicans allow a vote on jobs measures that have passed through the House.

"I see no reason to pass this inadequate bill until we see jobs legislation coming out of the Senate," said Pelosi in a statement.

"House Democrats are saying to Republicans in the Senate: Show us the jobs! (exclamation mark hers)"Her statement, along with Senate Republicans' unwillingness to pass any legislation that adds to the debt, means that Medicare doctors can expect a 21 percent pay cut when claims that have been held for two weeks start to be processed by Medicare's government administrator on Monday. Senate Democrats could not muster 60 votes twice this week when they considered bills more to Pelosi's liking. They passed the last-minute doc fix bill to avert the 21 percent pay cut to Medicare doctors on Friday afternoon, even as the pay cut was scheduled to take effect.

Read the whole thing.

Long past time the Democratic Congress told the warmongering plutocrats to fuck off and die.

Call or email your members of Congress and tell them not to do anything until a massive jobs bill is signed by President Obama.