CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
Oct. 30, 2009 – 1:34 p.m.
Reid Sets Up Vote on Tax Extensions in Jobless Bill
The extension and expansion of a tax credit for first-time homebuyers has been incorporated into Senate legislation that would extend unemployment benefits.
The Senate will hold a procedural vote on the legislation on Nov. 2. A vote on final passage of the entire package probably will happen by the end of next week.
The underlying bill on unemployment benefits had been held up by disagreements among Senate leaders about how to handle amendments.
As a result, Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., lined up the procedural vote and made other parliamentary moves to force progress on the legislation.
Republicans dropped their attempts to offer amendments relating to the community group ACORN and the E-Verify system, which allows employers to check potential employees’ immigration status. But Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., said his members still wanted to offer one amendment that would sunset the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) used to bail out the financial sector.
Reid offered a time agreement that would have allowed for consideration of two Republican amendments aimed at funding the unemployment benefit extension using TARP funds and increasing oversight of the bailout. But no amendments will be taken up next week, a spokesman for Reid said Friday.
On Thursday, a bipartisan group of senators released details of a deal to extend the homebuyer tax credit. The $8,000 credit is scheduled to expire Nov. 30. The deal would extend the credit for first-time homebuyers who enter sales contracts by April 30, 2010, and close within 60 days. Individuals would be able to claim the credit for purchases in 2010 on their 2009 tax returns, meaning they could get the money relatively quickly.
The measure would also add a $6,500 credit for some existing homeowners, as long as they have lived in their current homes for five consecutive years.
The income cap for qualifying would be raised to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples, up from $75,000 and $150,000, respectively. But homes sold for more than $800,000 would not be eligible for the credit.
Comments
Hey guys, if anyone watched CSpan2 90 minutes ago. That was disgusting. McConnell again objected to cloture over those bogus amendmendts even after Reid had accepted three. The one amendment McConnell kept pushing was that sunset of the TARP funds which the House has said they will not accept. But McConnell woiuldn't let the vote proceed despite Reid pleading with him on behalf of the 1 million people who now have lost benefits. McConnell smirked a lot and wouldn't budge. In fact, they had quite a fight. So, the debate is now pushed to Monday at the earliest and a bill may not pas until moddle of next week and the House leaers supposedly said they wouldn't consider anything but helath care after next week. McConnell's office is 202-224-2541.
If the bill was for tax breaks for the rich the Republicans would have supported the bill long ago, but because it is for unemployment extension for middle class employees the Republicans keep adding irrelevant ammendments to delay the passing of the bill. They only care about the rich and rich companies that line there pockets and don't give a hoot about middle class employees the backbone of our great company.
Why is the homebuyers tax credit getting all this media attention? This bill has been in the senate for a month and we heard nothing until now.
just a though on the GOP stalling the unemployment bill over and over and over again. do you think that the GOP are smart enough to know that they are going to lost a lot of seats come election time? do you think the GOP knows that the middle class are the ones who will vote them out of office? Do you think the the GOP knows that the the least likely to vote are the poor and homeless? Do you think that the GOP thinks, if we hold up the unemployment bill it will send million of unemployed into poverty, so the people that are going to vote us out are now the people who are the least likely to vote. If these people don't vote we don't lose or jobs. by holding up this bill the GOP has put 7000 people a day into poverty and thus less likely to vote against them. Just a though.
Republicans continue to prove that they love America, but hate most of the people living in it.
At least we are not eating horses, not that we ever would, thank God. I'm Country Carl the Artist and Advocate for additional unemployment benefits on Unemployment-Gone-Mad dot com. Here in Nashville the pawn shops are the only ones mining gold. These New Depression Blues times can drag a good man to the bottle. As we wait for an unemployment extension, thousands more become dumpster divers, tentpitchers and street corner beggars. Even pets are becoming a burden for tearful owners and freaking out when they become abandon.
Republicans don't care about the people of the United States. The only thing they care about is rich companies. If making these companies richer required the death of half the American people they would not hesitate one second passing the bill that would kill half of us.
I hope the vote happens this next week coming up..beginning of novemrber and it passes..to get on with this extension. The senate reminds me of high school arguments.They need to grow up and learn to deal with our real problems..or step down and let someone else do it.
That smirking kentucky senator, mcconnell, is having a field day watching millions of unemployed workers squirm thanks to his blocking of the passage of the u.i. extension. Good riddance to you next year, i sooooo hope you get throw out for good and be disgraced thanks to your disgusting shenanigans. Hey you, MCCONELL, you and republican gang, why don't you stop mouthing off with foams and pass this u.i. extension since last month already before more millions are throw out onto the streets because their last sort of income had vanished. Also, all those gutless, heartless, disgusting, good-for-nothing REPUBLICAN SENATORS must - I repeat, MUST - be voted out of office next mid-term election in 2010. That incl. you MCCONNELL, KYL, HATCH, MCCAIN, all those good-for-nothing hypocritical REPUBLICAN SENATORS must be swept away like cockroaches from the senate floors. For the rest of you democratic senators, i urge and plea you to Q-U-I-C-K-L-Y PASS THE UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION NOW. I mean NOW! Thank you.
That smirking kentucky senator, mcconnell, is having a field day watching millions of unemployed workers squirm thanks to his blocking of the passage of the u.i. extension. Good riddance to you next year, i sooooo hope you get throw out for good and be disgraced thanks to your disgusting shenanigans. Hey you, MCCONELL, you and republican gang, why don't you stop mouthing off with foams and pass this u.i. extension since last month already before more millions are throw out onto the streets because their last sort of income had vanished. Also, all those gutless, heartless, disgusting, good-for-nothing REPUBLICAN SENATORS must - I repeat, MUST - be voted out of office next mid-term election in 2010. That incl. you MCCONNELL, KYL, HATCH, MCCAIN, all those good-for-nothing hypocritical REPUBLICAN SENATORS must be swept away like cockroaches from the senate floors. For the rest of you democratic senators, i urge and plea you to Q-U-I-C-K-L-Y PASS THE UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION NOW. I mean NOW! Thank you.
rob...I think the republicans have awakened a sleeping giant. I have NO DOUBT that the people who are being hurt by these republican delay games are ANGRY about it. Nothing motivates a voter like stealing him/her blind and then kicking them to the streets. "Traditional homeless" people don't vote. I GUARANTEE WE WILL VOTE !!!! The republicans made a HUGE MISTAKE. Half the people who desperately need this extension are republican. Now they are FORMER REPUBLICANS !!! buh bye GOP !!!
When you call his office and the answer ( heard they been hanging up on people)McConnell's office is 202-224-2541. Remind him that we remember that he helped get us in this mess with his yes vote for NAFTA
called McConnell was put on hold and left there. if we all cut and paste our comments to him. he wil get the message. he will not do anything but at least he will know that we will not forget who keeped the food out of our kids mouth.
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