I attended a blogger meeting with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to talk about Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition that has formed to help win the coming fight over the expiring Bush tax cuts. As you remember, two years ago the Republicans held unemployment benefits hostage, demanding they be extended for 2 years. Obama went along, the Republicans since then cut unemployment anyway, and now are campaigning that Obama increased the debt. I will write about the coming tax-cut-expiration fight in depth later, but the Senator said something important on a different issue that I want to bring to your attention. He said the Transportation Bill is important, it is now, and "real jobs are at stake."
The transportation bill is also called the highway bil. Senator Whitehouse said that the transportation bill is being held up for no reason. The Senate has approved it. The House won't pass it. "Why are they jamming the highway bill?" The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill that both sides agree on, there is no partisan argument for not doing this. There is no defense for Republicans stalling it. They do not have a counter-story they are just stalling it to stall it.
We are losing projects and jobs day by day. This isn't just about hiring one person, it is about big projects that hire a lot of people. It's about a bridge, not just one job.
I want to add, once again Republicans are blocking an important bill that would help the country and create jobs. Are they sabotaging the economy to turn people against government and the President as an election strategy?
