GOP Stops Democratic Job Bills

With the clock winding down for Democrats’ control of Congress, many of them are trying to jam through bills at the last minute. But Republicans won’t stand for it. When Senate Democrats tried to push several jobs bills late Wednesday, Republicans blocked them, accusing their opponents of playing politics, The Hill reports.

Republicans are abiding by their promise to reject any bills that don’t involve the expiring Bush-era tax cuts or stop-gap government funding. The job bills pushed by Democrats included one to extend unemployment insurance benefits.

“Republicans have said that we believe the single most important step we can take to create jobs is keep the current tax rates, which will go up automatically Jan. 1,” says Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander. “Secondly, we need to fund the government. … We should fund the government, keep the tax rates where they are, freeze spending and go home.”