Obama Scolds GOP After Jobs Bill Provision Stalls

By Adrianna McGinley

The Senate blocked a $35 billion piece of the American Jobs Act Thursday night aimed at putting teachers and first responders back to work, but the President says he’s not done trying. 

“Our fight isn’t over,” Obama said in a statement Thursday. “We will keep working with Congress to bring up the American Jobs Act piece by piece, and give Republicans another chance to put country before party.”

In a 50-50 vote Thursday, far short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster, every Senate Republican and three Democrats voted against the legislation that would delegate billions to states and local governments to hire teachers and first responders. 

“That’s unacceptable,” Obama said. “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 … Those Americans deserve an explanation as to why they don’t deserve those jobs.”

House Passes Jobs Bill, Will Resume Recess

The House today passed a $26 billion measure that will provide emergency funding to cash-strapped states. $16 billion will go toward extending Medicaid funding through November, while the other $10 billion will help states avoid laying off teachers, policemen and other first responders.

The final vote today was 247-161 with three Democrats voting against the bill and two Republicans voting for it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who called the House back into session for today’s vote, announced the tally, banged her gavel, and with that the House returned to its summer recess.

The White House announced after the vote that President Barack Obama would sign it into law later in the day…

Pelosi Applauds Senate On Passage Of State Aid Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) released the following statement shortly after the Senate voted 61-39 to pass a $26 billion bill that aims to help states avoid mass layoffs:

“With today’s action, Senate Republicans’ tactics of delay, obstruction, and political posturing will no longer deny states and communities the aid they need to create jobs and provide vital services to the American people.  We will bring House Members back next week to pass this urgent legislation and send it to the President’s desk without delay.”‪