Sen. McConnell: GOP may support jobs bill

February 22, 2010

Associated Press

The top Republican in the Senate said Sunday that GOP lawmakers "may well" vote for a jobs bill this week.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., prefers a costlier version drafted with GOP input and he didn't commit his support to advance the legislation on Monday to a final vote this coming week.

The pending measure would provide businesses that hire the unemployed a one-year break from payroll taxes and a $1,000 tax credit if those workers stay on the job for a full year. The cost is estimated at $13 billion.

The measure would extend a tax break for small businesses buying new equipment, provide a $20 billion infusion of highway and transit money, and help states and local governments finance big public works projects.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., upset Republicans this month when he scrapped a bipartisan measure that had many more proposals that weren't directly aimed at boosting job growth.

Reid dumped business tax breaks and other items on wish lists sought by lobbyists. But he also took out provisions to extend unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless and health insurance subsidies for the unemployed that expire on Feb. 28.

A key test vote looms Monday. It would take at least one Republican to advance Reid's pared back bill to a final vote on Wednesday. McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said Republicans may try to slow debate down and seek to restore provisions that have been dropped, and hope the measure could advance in a few weeks.

But a Reid spokesman said Reid won't bring back the full version negotiated between Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, which Reid criticized on a Nevada news program last week.

"The fat cats did pretty well," Reid said last week on Face to Face with Jon Ralston, a Las Vegas news program.

The larger measure included about $33 billion in popular tax breaks, including an income tax deduction for sales and property taxes and a business tax credit for research and development, would be extended through 2010.

The tax breaks, more than 40 in all, expired at the end of 2009. They are routinely extended each year — the House voted to extend them in December — but the Senate never addressed them because senators were consumed by the health care debate.

McConnell appeared on Fox News Sunday.

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