Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Federal Funding

McConnell Spoiling For a Fight Over Jobs Bill, House Passes Budget Extension

2:49 PM EDT on October 4, 2011

Amid prognostications that the jobs bill is "dead" -- including House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's announcement that the House won't vote on the bill in its entirety -- Senate Minority Leaders Mitch McConnell said today that he's just itching for a vote on the Senate floor.

Yes, it's a tactic to make Obama look bad.

McConnell knows that the Democrats don't have the votes yet to pass the bill in the Senate. He says he's tired of the president blaming the Republicans for inaction, when no one benefits more from gridlock than the White House.

"How else do explain the fact that the president's spent the past few weeks running around the country demanding that Congress pass his so-called Jobs Bill 'right away' even as leading members of his own party admit that Democrats wouldn't have the votes to get it through Congress even if it came to the floor?" McConnell said.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, for his part, says he's "disappointed" in McConnell for "playing games." Reid says he's planning to bring up the bill this month.

In other Congressional news, the House easily passed a "continuing resolution" to fund the government for six more weeks. And what will happen in six weeks? Another continuing resolution, you can be sure!

Congress has moved forward on some budget bills for FY2012 (which has already begun), but the pace has been lackadaisical. After all, there never was a real budget for FY2011, just a warmed-over FY2010 budget with a lot of bites taken out of it. And if you've been paying attention to the Congressional stalemating that got the country's credit rating reduced, you probably know that the outlook isn't much better for this year.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

How To Build a Car That Kills People: Cybertruck Edition

The Cybertruck represents a lot of what's wrong with the U.S. transportation system — even as it purports to address those problems.

December 2, 2023

Friday’s Headlines Don’t Feel the Need for Speed

Tell me again, which constitutional amendment is it that gives people the right to drive as fast as they want?

December 1, 2023

Komanoff: Congestion Pricing Fee Plan is Solid

Here’s what’s to like about the Traffic Mobility Review Board's central business district toll recommendations. It's a lot!

December 1, 2023

Talking Headways Podcast: The Sexy World of Bus Speeds

When you start to add up the numbers, you can see why agency leaders would be interesting in finding ways to reduce those costs.

November 30, 2023

Thursday’s Headlines See Daylight

Daylighting, or removing parking near intersections, is an often overlooked way to improve pedestrian safety.

November 30, 2023
See all posts