–GOP Blocks Democratic Plan On 51 to 49 Vote; 60 Votes Needed
–Democrats Block GOP Plan On 47 To 53 Vote; 60 Votes Also Needed
By John Shaw
WASHINGTON (MNI) – Continuing their tactical battles, Senate
Republicans voted Thursday to block a Democratic-drafted infrastructure
plan and Democrats responded by derailing a Republican alternative.
The Senate voted on motions to formally take up the Democratic and
Republican plans. Passage of the motions required 60 votes.
The Democratic plan would have allocated $50 billion for funding
roads, transit, railroad and airport construction and $10 billion to
create a national infrastructure bank for longer-term projects.
The motion to take up this measure was defeated, 51 to 49 vote.
Sixty votes were required to officially begin debate on the bill.
The Republican alternative would have funded highway and transit
projects for two years at current levels and given states wide authority
to direct funds to projects they deemed important.
The Senate GOP bill would also have rolled back a raft of
regulations that the GOP contends have hampered job creation.
The Senate Republican bill as rejected on a 47 to 53 vote. Sixty
votes were also required to begin debate on this bill.
The Democratic bill was the second attempt to break up President
Obama’s $447 billion jobs program into smaller pieces and pass them
individually.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed to keep bringing up
parts of the president’s initial jobs bill and has blasted Republicans
for opposing all tax increases, even on “the richest of the rick.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Reid continues to bring
up bills that he knows Republicans will object to in order to make
political points. He said the two parties should work on jobs bills that
could pass Congress and become law.
** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **
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