Tax Lawyer's Blog

Andrew Taylor of the Associated Press reports:

Despite doubts among many lawmakers that it’ll create many jobs, the House on Thursday passed legislation giving companies that hire the jobless a temporary payroll tax break. The measure passed 217-201 on a mostly party-line vote. The bill also extends federal highway programs through the end of the year.

Some Democrats feel the approximately $35 billion jobs bill is too puny, while others say the tax cut for new hires won’t generate many new jobs. However, the pressure is on to address jobs and deliver a badly needed win for President Barack Obama and a Democratic Party struggling in opinion polls and facing major losses in the upcoming midterm elections. Further jobs measures are promised.

Now read this comment from Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), on why he plans to vote for the measure:

If that’s the only thing that I can vote on… I’ll vote for it, obviously. We’ve got to get something moving. We’ve got to get something done.

Pascrell’s statement epitomizes the widespread lack of enthusiasm for the bill and shows that some politicians will vote for anything in order to give the American people the impression that they are doing something about unemployment.

Of course, if Pascrell and the Democrats were doing their duty – instead of voting for this bill merely to have something to run on in November - they’d vote against the bill and force their colleagues to do the hard work of drafting legislation that really does create jobs?

Make no mistake, politicians like Pascrell, who obviously do not like this bill and are dubious of it’s effectiveness, are voting for the bill because they desperately need something to show the American people come re-election time in November?

But, Congressman, if it’s a bad bill, it’s your duty to vote against it.

Change you can believe in.

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