Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Laurel Brishel Prichard - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday that two major snowstorms that have rocked the D.C. area have delayed progress this week on the Democrats' Jobs bill.

Reid assured, however, that the Senate would get going soon on a bill that would include four particular components: the issuing of Build America bonds, which would provide much-needed funding for state and local governments at lower borrowing costs, allowing business owners to write off expenses faster, an extension of the Highway Bill and implementation of the Schumer-Hatch job strategy, which gives Social Security payroll tax breaks to employers.

“The American people need a message, the message that they need is that we are doing something about jobs. We don’t have a Jobs bill, we have a jobs agenda,” said Reid.

Due to the several feet of snow, the Federal Government has been closed all week. Reid said there will not be a vote on the jobs package until all Members of Congress are able to get to Washington D.C.

“People have schedules, when people leave Washington who are Members of Congress it's not that they head to the beach and sip tea and smoke cigars. People have work to do, we represent constituents,” said Reid when asked if it was responsible to let the Senate have off next week for the President's Day holiday.