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Obama Praises GOP Senator for Backing Stalled Small Biz Jobs Bill

1 year ago
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A senior Republican senator, Ohio's George Voinovich, says he will support a small business jobs bill backed by President Obama because the "country is really hurting" and the Senate cannot afford to wait.

Voinovich's vote would give Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid the 60 he needs to break any Republican filibuster and move ahead with the bill when Congress returns from recess next week. It comes on the condition that the Senate also consider an amendment that would reduce the amount of paperwork required of business owners on Main Street, the Washington Post reported. No other Republicans have come forward in favor of the legislation, which would offer $12 billion in incentives and create a $30 billion lending pool so smaller businesses can get access to capital.
Sem. George Voinovich, Ohio Republican"We don't have time for (political) messaging," Voinovich told the Post. "We don't have time anymore. The country is really hurting."

Obama, in his news conference Friday, praised Voinovich and said a "partisan minority" is holding up the bill. Voinovich, the former governor of Ohio and also mayor of Cleveland, is a moderate in his second term in the Senate. He is not running for re-election this year. Republican opponents are concerned that the lending fund could leave the government on the hook for loans that go bad.

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7 Comments

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snrar

We will remember !

September 18 2010 at 8:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
davekjr2

Why aren't they drilling in America. That would put 1-2 million people back to work. Why should we keep sending 700 billion to overseas drilling. Why isn't the government rounding up illegals in America that is breaking several states. That would put Americans back to work. Cut the worthless Gov't jobs that need to be cut. How much more are We The People going to take from our worthless Government. Where are the Military Leaders who could follow the footsteps of Eisenhower, Patton, MacArthur , and Halsey to protect and defend Our Country, Constitution amd We The People. Is it going to take We The People to stand up and FIGHT to rid this country of the Tyranny that is happening. The day is coming American's to LOCK and LOAD and DEFEND OURSELVES from these WORTHLESS IDIOTS that are destroying the Country that we LOVE.

September 17 2010 at 4:28 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
KMA

And what programs does the GOP offer? Tax relief (at what cost)?? Higher deficits? Aren't they complaining about the high deficits? And what about spending cuts? Where? None that I can see. I saw a report that the federal employment is the same in 2010 as it was in 1963. The difference is? Contractor services. Has the GOP decided to go after contractor services that ballote the budget??? I have heard of nothing on this account, have you?? They have offered no plan because they have no plan. Voting them in is not a solution because they have no solutions for the middle class.

September 10 2010 at 8:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kenneth

The problem here is trust. he was elected on campaign promises and the fact that he knew how to fix this countries problems. After taking office he worked on everything but jobs and the economy. They shoved one piece of crap legislation through congress after another to the point companies do not trust him and the working people trust him even less. Theya re worried what piece of crap will put them on the unemployment line. Bush did not do this ,they did it to themselves.

September 10 2010 at 8:16 PM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply
punnster

For over a year, Obama ignored our jobless for his medical bill and buying labor votes with his "stimulus" money. Now he is finally making a big deal for jobs and token tax cuts. It wouldn't be a political move for the impending elections, WOULD IT??

September 10 2010 at 7:39 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
rx25

God bless Voinovich. Middle-class Americans are being held hostage by Republican's obstruction

September 10 2010 at 6:51 PM Report abuse -4 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to rx25's comment
ellingt5

Middle Class Americans were destroyed by this administration. Can't blame Republicans as Dems had the majority of Senate, Congress and the WH. They just abused their power and pushed their ideology too far!

September 10 2010 at 7:41 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
Eric

When was the last time that a GOP senator has spoken out against partisan gridlock? George Voinovich governs on the same platform as Scott Brown, Susan Collins, and Olympia Snowe. We need more Republican senators like this with a Democratic majority in Congress. The ones who stall and fillibuster are OUT NOVEMBER 2nd!

September 10 2010 at 6:26 PM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Eric's comment
pinhigh4

It is interesting that when the Republicans manage to perform as a block that it is partisan yet when the Democrats vote as a block it is not?

September 11 2010 at 10:21 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
copterdude118

BTW, the $30 billion lending pool won't help anything. Small businesses have access to plenty of money at very low interest rates. The problem is that Obama has bashed the private sector so much that the business world knows he doesn't have their best interests in mind. Obama only supports his union constituents, at the expense of the rest of the private sector. They see the coming tax hikes, and are suffering the consequences of Obamacare and the new Frank/Dodd financial regs. Lots of red tape, lots of hoops to jump through, and lots of uncertainty in our fragile economy.

September 10 2010 at 3:22 PM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to copterdude118's comment
tausands

The problem is the banks that are refusing to lend to small businesses. Turn off Rush and Beck and pick up a newspaper sometime. You might just learn something.

September 10 2010 at 6:32 PM Report abuse -4 rate up rate down Reply
copterdude118

Just a few days ago, Obama said the GOP had no new ideas for the economy, just the same old ideas from the Bush administration. In the same speech, he said he wanted tax incentives for R&D, plus a new depreciation schedule for business purchases of capital goods. These are two ideas from the business friendly GOP of the Bush era. Why is it that whenever election time rolls around, liberal democrats suddenly see the light and run on fiscally conservative ideas?

September 10 2010 at 3:15 PM Report abuse +12 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to copterdude118's comment
tausands

Why is it that now that we have a Democrat President the Republicans won't vote for their own ideas??

September 10 2010 at 6:31 PM Report abuse -3 rate up rate down Reply

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