The American Jobs Act is a bill recently proposed by President Barack Obama that could, he claims, help put the American economy back on track. Colloquially referred to as “Obama’s Job Bill,” the proposal includes tax cuts for smaller businesses, includes a tax credit for businesses that hire those who have been unemployed for an extended period of time and suggests allowing more people to refinance their mortgages at lower than 4 percent interest rates. It even discusses expanding internet access to more Americans.
This bill has shown a side of Obama that was seen only previously while he was campaigning in 2008. For the first time in a while, Obama appears to be taking the offensive against his opposition regarding the passing of his bill.
In a recent press conference, he said, “If it turns out that there are Republicans opposed to this bill, they need to explain to me, but more importantly to their constituencies and the American people, why they’re opposed, and what would they do.”
Now, a serious question: Why, regardless of the president’s determination, is this bill so unlikely to pass?
The bill, as proposed, would cost $447 billion@@http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/us/politics/jobs-bill-could-help-economic-growth-some-forecasters-say.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=jobs%20bill%20150,000&st=cse@@. According to the New York Times, it could add as many as 150,000 jobs per month over the next year@@see link above@@. But jobs cost money. Tax cuts for struggling businesses cost money.
To help pay, Democrats in the Senate proposed a 5.6 percent surtax on those with yearly incomes over $1 million a year. And when tax hikes are mentioned, especially on the rich, many Republican representatives shut down.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.)@@http://cantor.house.gov/@@ said, “The president continues to say, ‘Pass my bill in its entirety’ … the all-or-nothing approach is just unacceptable,” in regards to the bill.
But why is it unacceptable? The bill is a complete package, a step toward what the protesters of Occupy Wall Street deserve. More importantly than anything, however, it’s something. It’s a plan, and it’s an idea.
Comedian Lewis Black’s@@http://www.lewisblack.net/@@ opinion of the bipartisan system is that “the Democrats are the party of no ideas and the Republicans are the party of bad ideas.”
Lately, Black’s strangely simple statement seems to be ringing true. But Obama has grabbed a hold of his idea and ran, touring the country promoting his bill, and challenging any Republican who shoots it down to come up with something better.
Not only is this challenge not being taken seriously by Republican representatives, but neither is the bill. Cantor called it “dead in Congress,” a fairly accurate status brought on by Republican dismissal, delay tactics and uncertain Democrats.
“That the jobs bill is dead is not a surprise,” University economics professor Mark Thoma@@see hyperlink@@ wrote on his blog, “Economist’s View,” “but given the national unemployment crisis we face the lack of will and urgency in Congress to do anything about, it ought to add fuel to whatever fire recent protests have ignited. We need to do something to help the unemployed now, not tomorrow — more should have been done already — and the action needs to be bold and aggressive.”
Bold and aggressive is exactly what needs to happen. Congress’ approval ratings have tied a record low of 11 percent, according to an Oct. 3 CBS News poll. Could this be because Congress does little more these days than argue, delay and pick apart every tentative solution they are faced with?
Moves need to be made, in one way or another. Obama is attempting to move a piece forward on the economic chess board, but all the other players are convincing themselves that it’s better to just remain in stalemate.
As the saying goes, something’s got to give. As it stands now, the government is being kept open on temporary extensions. Such measures are not infinite, and procrastination is really not in anyone’s best interest.
I think Obama put it best when, at his recent press conference, he said, “The question then is, will Congress do something? If Congress does something, then I can’t run against a do-nothing Congress. If Congress does nothing, then it’s not a matter of me running against them. I think the American people will run them out of town because they are frustrated.”
He is right. The American people are very frustrated. And this jobs bill is something. It’s a good something. And, as of right now, it’s the best something anyone has come up with.