Senate Dem Thinks GOP Opposition To Jobs Plan Will Wear Down

By Andrea Salazar

After a Republican filibuster put an end to President Obama’s jobs package as a whole, Senate Democrats are breaking it up into separate bills. 

The first component to make it to the floor will be a bill to protect and create jobs for teachers and first responders, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) told reporters during a conference call Wednesday.

The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act would set aside $35 billion for job creation and protection in education and emergency services. As Brown told TRNS, the wording in the legislation requires state and local governments to use the proposed grant money only to retain or hire employees in those areas by September 2013.

The bill would be paid for by a 0.5 percent surtax on individuals with incomes of more than $1 million. Senate Democrats expect the bill to protect and create 400,000 jobs in education.

“A small number of people pay this and the benefit is community-wide all over the country,” Brown said. “We’re not asking for much sacrifice from them, and it will mean so much to the public interest, to public safety and our education.”

Brown had a teacher, fire chief and sheriff as guests on his conference call to discuss the need for the bill. All three agreed that there was not enough funding for the work required of them. 

“If we wait another year, this is kids that aren’t taught and people that aren’t hired with middle class salaries and fires that can’t be responded to as quickly and sheriffs and police departments not responding  as quickly as they should be able to,” Brown said.

More bills are forthcoming breaking down the president’s jobs bill, Brown said.

Obama Urges House To Support Jobs Bill

President Barack Obama urged House members Tuesday to support a $26 billion piece of legislation aimed at preventing thousands of teachers and government employees from losing their jobs.

“We can’t stand by while pink slips are given to the men and women that educate our children and keep our communities safe,” Obama said from the White House Rose Garden. 

Flanked by Education Secretary Arne Duncan and two teachers, the President stressed that the bill is deficit neutral, and that the costs would be offset by closing tax loopholes for industries that outsource jobs.

Obama also addressed Republican criticism, primarily the complaint that the bill panders to unions and liberal interests groups.

“I heard the Republican leader in the House say the other day that this is a special interests bill,” Obama said. “I suppose if America’s children and the safety of our communities are your special interests, then it is a special interest bill.”

The House is expected to vote on the bill by 2:30 pm Tuesday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) suspended the lower-chamber’s August recess to take up the legislation.

Van Hollen: No Major Legislation During 'Lame-Duck' Session

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the third-ranking Democrat in the House, told reporters today that he does not anticipate the House voting on anything big during the brief session of Congress following this November’s elections.

“It’s very clear that there’s not gonna be major legislation during that period,” he said, citing Republican “scare-tactics” as the source of such speculation.

Nonetheless, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), has filed a resolution, to be considered this coming Tuesday - the same day the House will vote on a bill to send emergency aid to states - that would prohibit Congress from voting during the two-month session.

Price defended his resolution on the floor of the House last week.

“Americans are sick and tired of their elected leaders making backroom deals to ram through unpopular, 2000-page bills that no one has read,” he said. “They are sick of out-of-touch politicians, and they are tired of being ignored.”

Van Hollen, however, rebuked Price’s notion, saying the decision by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to call the House back into session was motivated by the need to preserve jobs.

“We’re coming back because it makes no sense from a jobs perspective and…from the prospective of our children’s education to have an insufficient number of teachers in the classroom,” he said.

Education Expert: Passion Key To Academic Achievements

By Sam Wechsler - Talk Radio News Service

Harlem Village Academies (HVA), a charter school in New York City, recently set a New York state record for academic achievement with 100% of their eighth grade students passing mathematics. In addition 100% passed science, 92% passed reading, and 96% passed social studies.

Deborah Kenny, founder of HVA, discussed their formula for success Monday morning with former NFL star and HVA board member Tiki Barber at a charter school convention in Washington, DC.

Kenny highlighted autonomy and passion as characteristics of teachers at HVA. “In our schools, the more we trust our teachers, the more we give them a voice in decisions ... the more we give power to our teachers and trust them, the more they are on fire,” said Kenny.

In addition to having passionate teachers, she also stated that the school spends the vast majority of its time dedicated to reading, helping the kids fall in love with it rather than focusing on the technical skills required.

“A passionate teacher creates a passionate learning environment,” Kenny said.