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In 50—50 vote, Senate blocks $35 billion jobs bill for teachers and first responders.
Joined by Lieberman and Dem Sens. Pryor and Ben Nelson, Republicans unanimous in opposition to bill.
McConnell: “[It would] impose a permanent tax hike on about 300,000 U.S. business owners and then use the money to bail out cities and states that cannot pay their bills.”
President responds: "Every Senate Republican voted to block a bill that would help middle class families and keep hundreds of thousands of firefighters on the job, police officers on the streets, and teachers in the classroom when our kids need them most."
AND: GOP backed withholding tax relief provision fails 57 — 43.
Halperin's Take
The Democratic defections don't help the President's case, but most newspaper/web headlines cast the outcome, again, as Republicans blocking Obama's efforts to spur job growth. The White House strategy is clearly to leverage public opinion to break the back of the GOP. But if the administration can't do that with the Senate, forcing the House's hand will be impossible. Still, a series of piecemeal votes could in fact change the dynamic — and that's what Democrats plan to do.More ways to get The Page
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