In his State of the Union Address, U.S. President Barack Obama declared that "jobs must be our number one focus in 2010" and called for the creation of a new jobs bill. Obama also called for a renewed sense of bipartisanship on the Hill. Both calls to action seemed to be, if not promising, then at least moving in a quasi−positive direction as of the middle of last week.
U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D−Mont.) and Republican Senator Charles Grassley (R−Iowa) combined efforts to quickly create a bill that would cost approximately $85 billion over ten years. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D−Nev.) worked closely in developing the jobs bill and had, by last Tuesday, pledged to pass it. The bill seemed poised to break the partisan gridlock that has plagued Congress for months while creating badly needed jobs. All parties involved were understandably stunned when Reid declared last Thursday that he was scrapping the bill. Reid has since proposed a watered−down bill that would cost only $15 billion over the next decade but has considerably less meat than its predecessor. Reid's cheaper version excludes key elements — namely a bevy of tax incentives as well as an extension of unemployment benefits and subsidies intended to help the jobless retain their health insurance.
After what began as a bipartisan endeavor, the jobs bill looks sure to be ripped apart before the Senate, with Republicans still fuming over Reid's actions; Senator Orrin Hatch (R−Utah), a co−sponsor of the original bill, has already jumped ship. Still further, Senate Democrats are equally upset — Blanche Lincoln (D−Ark.), Tom Harkin (D−Iowa) and Baucus are among those particularly vexed.
Why would Reid, at the eleventh hour, torpedo a jobs bill with bipartisan support that he helped to write? One word: partisanship.
Reid slashed benefits and tax incentives, but kept the central job creation mechanisms from the Baucus−Grassley bill intact — albeit to a lesser extent. Reid is playing politics, daring his Republican colleagues to vote against a bill that promises to create jobs, even if the Congressional Budget Office has validated neither the bill's cost nor its effectiveness. At a time when American political rhetoric has become "jobs, jobs, jobs," Reid is baiting the Republicans into a no−win situation. Reid has already set the stage, stating that "the Republicans are going to have to make a choice … I don't know in logic what they could say to oppose this."
Forget the fact that Reid blindsided the Obama administration, forcing the White House — caught with its pants down — to defend his new, scaled−down jobs package a day after it had formally endorsed the bill he scuttled. Forget the fact that Reid has single−handedly destroyed any hope of engendering Senate bipartisanship before a 2010 midterm election that may very well be the second coming of the Civil War. Forget the fact that Reid has alienated not only the Senate Finance Committee Chairman — twice — but also the few moderate Republicans willing to break lock−step and talk to the Democrats. And forget the fact that Reid took an already questionable bill and turned it into a piece of toothless legislation (see "health care").
The greatest, most egregious transgression Reid has committed is his willingness to play politics with the fates of the more than nine million unemployed Americans. He has no problem eliminating unemployment benefits, health care subsidies and key tax incentives to vilify the Republicans in a juvenile, spineless attempt at saving the Democrats come November.
Furthermore, the Senate's partisan impasse will now only continue to grow, further stifling any efforts to attain veritable legislative progress. Now, as the Senate debates a watered−down jobs bill meant to lure Republicans into a political trap, the question must be asked: Are the Democrats working for the American people, or for re−election? In Harry Reid's case, the answer is crystal clear.
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Teddy Minch is a senior majoring in political science. He hosts "The Rundown," a talk show from 3 to 5 p.m. every Friday on WMFO. He can be reached at Theodore.Minch@tufts.edu.
