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By Julie Pace
Heralding a rare moment of bipartisan agreement, President Barack Obama signed into law Monday legislation aimed at helping unemployed veterans find work while putting more cash in the hands of companies with government contracts.
The legislation, which creates tax breaks for companies that hire jobless veterans, marks the first proposal from Obama's $447 billion jobs bill to be signed into law. The rest of the package of new taxes and spending has largely failed to garner support from Republican lawmakers.
"Because Democrats and Republicans came together, I'm proud to sign those proposals into law," Obama said during a signing ceremony Monday.
Looming over the brief moment of unity, however, was the apparent failure of lawmakers from both parties to agree on $1.2 trillion in spending cuts ahead of a Wednesday deadline by a special committee. While Obama didn't directly address the looming deadline, he said the American people deserve bold, bipartisan action.
"My message to every member of Congress is keep going. Keep working. Keep finding more ways to put bipartisanship aside and put more Americans back to work," he said.
The veterans' legislation had overwhelming support from both parties, with the House passing the measure 422-0 and the Senate approving it 95-0. In addition to the tax breaks for businesses, it also beefs up job-training and counseling programs for unemployed veterans.
The legislation also repeals a 2006 law that would have required the federal, state and local governments to withhold 3 percent of their payments to contractors. That statute, which doesn't take effect until 2013, was supposed to pressure contractors to pay their taxes in full, but lawmakers now say the law would deny cash to companies that need it to hire more workers.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said passage of the bill showed that it is possible for both parties to reach a consensus.
"By focusing on areas of agreement — rather than partisan stimulus bills — we can pass legislation to help foster job growth. Neither of these measures alone is going to solve the jobs crisis, but they'll provide relief to job creators and help American veterans," McConnell said.
McConnell praised Obama for inviting Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts to attend the ceremony. It was Brown who had introduced the 3 percent withholding bill.
The tax credits for hiring veterans will cost the government an estimated $95 million — a tiny fraction of Obama's overall jobs plan. The credits would be as much as $9,600 for companies hiring disabled vets who have looked for work for more than half a year. The size of the credit would be based on the worker's salary and how long the worker was unemployed.
The programs would be financed mostly by extending a fee the Veterans Affairs Department charges to back mortgages.
Erasing the withholding requirement for contractors would reduce federal revenues by an estimated $11.2 billion over the coming decade. It would be paid for by making it harder for some elderly people to qualify for Medicaid by changing the formula used to determine their eligibility.
Many economists have said annulling the withholding law would have a minimal impact on hiring.
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I love our Veterans and believe they deserve all America has to offer, but I also know there is NO MONEY in the ECONOMY to support the BILL! I believe this JACKASS is purposely trying to win a VOTE and further PLUNGE AMERICA into FINANCIAL RUINS. I guess the MONEY is coming from the SUGAR PLUM FAIRY.... it being Christmas and all....
Obama could cure cancer, make you personally a multimillionaire with an IQ above 90 and you would still find fault with him, wouldn't you? This bill is a necessary and good thing, so stop with your partisan whining for a second and admit it, ok?
The funny part about your misplaced attack and lack of an answer as to where the money is coming from.... I don't blame Obama for all of America's financial woes......
Sheeesh, it took our MILITARY to get these turkeys in D.C. to do something together.
But what the hey, Mr. Obama did sign legislation costing the taxpayers about $ 33,000,000 to help prisoners get jobs FIRST.
Close all the loopholes the gopers made for the rich and let them pay the same percentage as Buffets secretary. That's where the money would come from to pay for it. We ALL know the pledge the gopers made to Norquist and the rich, not to raise taxes.
More gamesmanship. If someone in congress proposed giving corporations a tax break for employing the devil himself it would pass. The key phrase is "tax break." This bill has nothing to do with helping vets and everything to do with the sense in congress that "tax break's" for corporate jets is on its way out.
FED UP - The same place it came from to fund two wars!
FED UP: Easy... freeze the salaries of our Senators and Representatives (after all they're worthless) and use it to give those who earn the right by sacrificing more than those idiots in Capitol Hill. I always said... GIVE OUR POLITICIANS THE MINIMUM WAGE... and see how fast things change in this country.
It's great that veterans' status has been raised to welfare recipient/ex-con/99er. Now the users can get a good worker along with their tax credit.
Fed Up-3261941 Here's an idea, if you don't want to support the returning veterans, then don't send the young men and women of this country to war any more. Let Afghanistan and Iraq take care of themselves. We could also save a lot of money on the military budget, if we weren't fighting any wars.
I see, theres money for the unemployed vets, but not the unemployed period!. is that the right thing to do?
That's odd. The republicans have assured me that anyone who can't find a job in America is nothing less than a lazy POS and doesn't deserve to be "entitled" to a job by government intervention. Hard to believe the right-wing is calling American vets lazy, worthless lackards.
Freddie......please provide the link where anyone called the American Vets lazy. Since I spent 34 years in the military, I will be infuriated with whomever stated that.
Mr. Obama is the one who stated "America has been Lazy for the past couple of decades".
You got that right.....I am infuriated with Mr. Obama.
Nobody called the American Vets lazy. The fact that Republicans beleive in survival of the fittest and that unemployment applies only to lazy people is common knowledge. Guess what, most American Vets happen to be Republicans... let them survive only if they are fit enough to do so.
Kind of difficult to get a job if there are not any. See BO administrations job killing manifesto.
Uh, Ido? Have you seen the full statement of Obama's? Not the twelve-second edited clip?
No, I didn't think you did. Go ahead, look it up. I'm serious. I'll wait while you do.
Come on, Ido. What are you waiting for? Watch the full clip. Go on.
Of course the President never said that. FYI, quotation marks mean that you are repeating the man's words verbatim (quoting, if you will). What's funny, the first time I heard Rick Perry accuse President Obama of calling Americans lazy, I laughed out loud, just knowing it was wildly out of context without even knowing the source of the quote. What a surprise to see I was right.
http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2011/nov/17/rick-perry/rick-perry-says-barack-obama-thinks-americans-are-/
"Our ruling: Obama said America had acted lazily in some regard. Exactly whom he considers lazy, we're still not sure. But it’s clear that he was not wagging his finger at the American public at large. Perry's presentation distorts the president's remark by taking it out of context. We rate his claim Mostly False."
Republicans have stated, on record, numerous times, that if you can't find a job in America it is your own fault and you are just too lazy. That includes the multitudes of unemployed veterans in our country. So yes, the Republicans are calling veterans lazy... when they aren't booing them, that is.
Cameron Ford
Well there seems to be lots of work in N. Dakota. Alabama needs farm hands. Craiglist in my area,San Luis Obispo Ca., has about 200 job listings.
Have you looked in your area lately??
I'm not implying that you are in need of work. I just saying that there are jobs available if anyone cares to look.
LOL at the edited Ido clip. Watch the whole thing you fool, those of us who already have know you're just a moron. Watch it before you embarrass yourself further.
You look up the full video yet, Ido?
i love, i know, i believe, i guess - news flash Fed Up - nobody CARES what YOU think
ZEEBOL and FRED: Then spend like there's no tomorrow.... And keep believing America can afford to write the checks....
Fed, you need to read, comprehend, then reply. Including me in your reply makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Blind hatred will usually only make you look ignorant. I'm trying to help, you're welcome.
Fred: You still believe in our Democracy .... There is No such thing as Republican, Democrat or G.O.P in a 100% corrupt Three Branches of Aristocrats.... Robbing Peter to pay Paul..... then going back to rob Paul to pay Peter is Insane! I am most likely misunderstanding you because I am P.O.! Our state is over 2 billion and counting in debt and still on the attack to the middle-class and poor. sorry. I am a wet blanket today. :(
I understand and in many ways sympathize with your frustrations. But don't give up on that democracy. A true capitalist democracy is perhaps one of the most difficult philosophies to make work. It pairs human compassion with the instinctive human trait of greed, a tough pair to keep in a marriage.
I do a lot of American history and as bad as things may seem, this country has been in much worse states before, but WE the people ultimately had our say and we're still here, still the most powerful nation on the planet. Best advice? Stay peed off as it is how we know what is wrong, but don't lose hope.
9/11 should have been a wake-up call for us all. The day before we were at each others throats as usual, then for a week or two we came together as we should have as a community. Then it was back to partisan mud-wrestling. In a pinch, we still know how to make it work.
Fred: Thanks for the pep talk.... I am proud of your willingness to believe! Good advice. :D)
Just "another" Photo op" for the Prez!!!
Hope he and Michelle Antoinette enjoyed Australia, Hawaii, and Bali!
Just More MILLIONS spent for their Private "Obama One', 50 Secret Service Guys, Hotels, etc.
Excuse me...is there a Debt Crisis here? Oops..Michelle had time to go to the final NASCAR Race!
Soooo glad they booed her! The NASCAR crowd are Hard Working People, religeous, Patriotic people....not that SHE would "get it"? Just like Hubby..gotta have those "props" (kids in front of her!)
:-)
Now, since Obama is in office, neither he or his wife should travel anywhere. In fact there should be a ban on presidential travel, until a republican takes the white house. Then travel will no longer be an issue.
Stop listening to one type of news source, Limpballs, barking hanity, nut Beck and faux news. Open your mind you hard working religious patriot. I guess only right wingers are hard working, religious patriots
Patty-Virginia Beach said:
The NASCAR crowd are Hard Working People, religeous, Patriotic people
LOL! (literally)
I have no issue with this bill at all, but if there are no jobs, except in India, Mexico, and China, how does this help anyone, especially our veterans?
Obama is a pure joke, and also those in Congress that are not calling on any prosecution of bank executives, Wall Street speculators, and their Congress friends that is stealing from the American people through the Wall Street banking fiasco! The veterans bill is just a show boat from Obama and Congress to get votes; I'm sure it's not hurting the big boys on Wall Street and Congress by passing this jobs plan.
it is truly ironic listening to Obama now claim tax cuts create jobs. when just last week the DNC and Obama campaign said tax breaks won't create jobs.
He misspoke - he said these tax breaks create votes.
There are different kinds of tax cuts. Targeting a small tax cut to make it cheeper to create a job, might work. Giveing a huge tax cut to a bunch of millionaires so they can dump more money into hedge funds that can then buy credit-default swaps and completely crash a world economy when a housing bubble bursts... That kind of tax cut creates zero jobs, and the last ten years are the proof.
You see, it's not that difficult. Clinton targeted tax cuts and the economy boomed. Bush gave away the store to the wealthiest and we have 9% unemployment, which would be even higher if this administration hadn't gotten a few small measures through.
Jon
What huge tax cuts are you talking about?? I haven't seen anything put on the table by the Republicans that is a huge tax cut. I have seen closing loopholes and lowering rates but no huge tax cuts.
The huge tax cut I mention would be the Bush tax cuts. They are still in effect.
And lowering the top rate (the republican proposal) from the Bush top rate of 35% to 28% in exchange for closing loopholes is a tax cut for only those that pay at the 35% rate, i.e. the wealthy. The closing of loopholes would effectively raise rates for more people, meaning that middle class tax payers get deductions taken away without a rate cut.
Jon
The Bush Tax Cuts(Obama's now) actually gave a LARGER TAX CUT to the middle class. Even Obama said when he signed the extension that the Tax cuts were good for Business and the Middle Class. Remember??
How would closing loop holes hurt the Middle Class?? I always thought that the LOOP HOLES WERE FOR THE RICH???
Wrong, the majority of the money in the Bush tax cuts went to the upper income levels.
And independent analysis of the Republican super committee proposal called it the biggest tax cut for multi-millionaires since Calvin Coolidge.
Damn - I was told I could not join the military in 1973 - only child. I love the vets however. I was at the back of the bus as the despised white male but now I guess I have to walk.
Why could this not have been in a comprehensive jobs bill that included everyone and was put together so it would be passed????
Hosed - Obama had a comprehensive jobs bill the Republicans wouldn't pass it - this was the only bill he could through - one no vote De Mint from South Carolina - didn't feel Vets were special people even though their unemployment rate is higher than the average at 12 1/2%
And all of you wondering where the money is coming from, we still have some unspent stimulus bucks and to answer about hiring Viet Nam vets - this bill is for "ALL VETS - ABLE AND DISABLED"
Why the devil don't you pay attention before commenting - you might learn something and save us the aggravation of these nightly learning forums
If there are no jobs -and there aren't any -what differnce does this public relations stunt make? signed a disabled vet
JUST like Obamacare......Nobody had time to READ it! (Thank you Botox Pelosi!)
You cannot get insurance with "pre-existing conditions" unless you have NOT had insurance for the Previous 6 months!!!
Employers CANNOT get a tax credit unless they hire a Vet that has been unemployed for 3-6 months!
The Campaigner-in-Chief is a total Snake Oil Salesman and the media Never gives the "rules" and/or DETAILS!
Why did Obama leave out Vietnam veterans?
Obama doesn't have a CLUE where Vietnam is!!!
He was Busy doing his Community organizing...............
There are No 5 Star Hotels or Lobster there.... NoBama & Michelle Antoinette will NEVER visit Vietnam!
He sure knew where Osama bin Laden was. I'm pretty damned sure he knows where Vietnam is. Could you point it out on a map, Patty? You know, without consulting Wikipedia first.
Maybe you should change your name to "Petty-Virginia Beach"
"He sure knew where Osama bin Laden was". totally irrelevant but since you make the point. yes. Obama was "told" where OBL was. great to see Obama backers take credit for what the military does in one breath and then suggest cutting their funding in half. good luck catching the next OBL with Obama and the liberals military cuts. but then good liberals would only blame someone else anyway.
There goes the fear monger that we need to spend only on defense because we're going to be attacked at any minute. Keep the paranoia to yourself... you want them not to attacks, let's not rub our nose in their business. But we want to tell them how to live, what type of democracy they should have and who they should do business with... and we expect that they leave us alone? HA!!!!
justiceforall - read today - our $800 Billion defense program is 50% Private Contractors - many of them like Haliburton was no bid contracts - so whose running the shop?
And who is taking the bribes? Welcome to the United States of America, Inc.
"Toasty"
Typical Liberal Name calling and insulting post!
I KNOW exactly Where Vietnam is located....I lost 3 Very Good friends in 1968 and Still have many friends who were "spit on" when they returned home.
BTW.......One friend committed suicide in 1976........
Thanks for you hateful post!!!
Patty: President Obama lived in Singapore, which happen to be close to Vietnam, and that is more than you will ever be in your life. And that is your experience regarding Vietnam? You look like Sarah Palin, whose international experience is that she was in a state neighboring Russia... go figure
Most vets are Republicans, are they not? What happened, did they forget about "reinventing themselves," "survival of the fittest" and all that stuff...?
These days it's pretty much even down the military. Especially in the last four years, it's evened out considerably.
Sorry Mark - obviously you don't read the postings here - not all vets are Republicans - and certainly our younger military are not, they are coming from lower income families - who joined for educations they otherwise could not afford - then there are the "gays" that your people happily booed - they certainly are not of your ilk, and will remember your prejudices
This is a perfect example of bipartisan hypocrisy.
I find it interesting that vets are automatically deserving of our help to find a job and other americans who are unemployed are a bunch of lazy shiftless Obama loving socialists...
I also find it interesting that the same republicans who were telling us that the military is all volunteer to justify their killing and maiming of soldiers in Iraq now get teary eyed at their employment plight...frankly I don't buy it at all...the faux patriotism thing
You got that right DWF. Mr. Obama needs to research, and if he does, he will find out that President Eisenhower had the wisdom to see that the only way to find jobs for returning veterans was to create openings after world war two. What was it that he did? Research and find out for yourself.
Obamamamama really wants to get re-elected. Now he's trying to get on the side of the Vets by finding them jobs. He's already whored himself with the Nurses Union, Police Union, Fire Unions, Auto Unions. All those that will make a difference for him if he caters to their whims. He's getting involved too late. He should have been sitting in with those Dirty Dozen that was S"SUPPPOSED" to come up with a viable plan for OUR COUNTRY and not for their party. Both parties and the president are too blame and ALL should be replaced with the next election.
R Woodward - you're definition of a whore and mine are totally different - I consider Nurses, Firefighters, Police, Auto Workers and yes Vets - my neighbors and anyone who tries to help them are not whoremongers
And your name calling of our president is disgusting - crawl back in your dark hole
re: Guess what, most American Vets happen to be Republicans... let them survive only if they are fit enough to do so.
^ Ah, so that's why the GOP has gotten 5000 of them killed in Iraq, and is bitter that President Obama is ending the war.
I see now, it's a Darwinian exercise. They intend to kill our GI's.
He's already whored himself with the Nurses Union, Police Union, Fire Unions, Auto Unions.
^ What? Police, fire-fighters, nurses, Teachers, factory workers! Doesn't the President know that they are the enemy.
Quick GOP dupes, run to your pimp-masters the Koch Brothers and the Australian (Murdoch) for direction.
You must stop the President before it's too late! :) lol.
Not to worry, Chairman ObaMAO will make those jobs magically appear even though he hasn't been able to create any for those of us sitting here at home. Just another publicity stunt to garner votes from the gullible.
So you're saying that the people sitting on our asses like you and I should get first dibs at jobs before the people that risked their lives fighting to needless wars, watching their friends die, suffering from PTSS and coming come with missing limbs?
Ya ok, i'm sure thats fair
Well hallelujah they finally agree on something ha ha ha!!!
I had no idea there were so many jobless veterinarians
You sound exactly like King Georgie, "I didn't know gas was almost 5 dollars".
starbuck, you didn't have to be insulting Wisconsindad for being sarcastic... comparing him to King georgie...
Companies are going to hire Vets because they have excellent work ethics and are skilled at there jobs and not for tax breaks.
If only that were true. These companies will not hire anyone unless they get a tax break for it. And for those companies to sit around waiting for the tax break, I say shame.
Where were they when our military was in harms way every day? Sitting in some office on their butts, that's where. and riding around in their cars with pro war ribbons stuck all over the cars.
Shame, shame, shame.
Ahetch, I am a veteran and I also am responsible for hiring people for my department where I work. However, Before I can get authorization to hire anyone I must first justify the position and I have never been turned down. When I do hire someone my first consideration is can they do the job. I do not have time or resources to train people on the basics. Next if I can hire a vet they have first priority and not because of any tax breaks, but because I know that most of the time they are a much better employee. A tax break would never even cross my mind.
TxBob... you may be the exception that justifies the rule. You as a vet has another perspective, but most of our executives don't think in terms of efficiency but in terms of cost and savings... thank you for your service and keep up the good work, whether in civies or in uniform.
Thank you President Obama!
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
rattus - You bring a tear to my eye and makes my heart sing!