A promising step

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada took a big risk this month. He scrapped a large jobs bill plan that had won the support of some Republican and Democratic lawmakers because it was laden with special interest projects. Instead, Reid took the best parts of the legislation — measures that will put money into the economy quickly and create more jobs — and put them into his bill. The bill passed Wednesday, 70-28, with 13 Republicans supporting it.

However, the bill almost didnÕt make it to a vote. There was little Republican support Monday as the GOP, emboldened since it broke the DemocratsÕ once filibuster-proof majority, tried to block the legislation during a procedural maneuver. But five Republicans left their normally lock-step caucus to advance the legislation. For doing so, Sens. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, Kit Bond of Missouri and MaineÕs two senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, were quickly pilloried by some people on the far right. Brown, in particular, was singled out, being called a ÒselloutÓ and a ÒJudas.Ó

The small group of Republicans saw the legislation for what it is — a good bill that will help the country. (Obviously it was good, otherwise eight other Republicans wouldnÕt have joined them in voting for the bill Wednesday.) ReidÕs plan will provide tax credits to employers who hire unemployed workers. It will also renew highway construction programs through the end of the year and put $20 billion in the highway trust fund.

Voinovich said the highway programs are particularly important to his state because of the jobs they bring.

ÒIf we donÕt do this weÕre going to miss the construction season, and this is an area where you absolutely create jobs,Ó Voinovich said.

The bill goes to the House, where there is discussion of changing the legislation or amending other programs to it, but we hope that doesnÕt happen. The country needs this legislation enacted quickly. Reid wants it to pass and then build on it. He has plans for a series of other bills that would help small businesses, spur the creation of clean-energy jobs and provide more money for infrastructure. It is vitally important that those bills move ahead as well.

President Barack Obama praised the SenateÕs work on the jobs bill and said, ÒThe American people want to see Washington put aside partisan differences and make progress on jobs.Ó

Reid said he was Òvery, very pleasedÓ and added, ÒI hope this is the beginning of a new day here in the Senate.Ó Nonetheless, it will take more of a cooperative spirit in Congress to get that done in the months to come.

It is good to see that some Republicans are willing to buck their partyÕs narrow ideology and work with Democrats for the good of the nation. And although we hope that there is a change in Congress, weÕll temper our optimism given the past yearÕs behavior by the Republican congressional leadership. The GOP leadership has been focused on stopping Democratic-sponsored legislation to jump-start the economy so the party can campaign later this year against Democratic Òfailures.Ó Their obstructionism has taken an ugly tone, as several conservatives have labeled as ÒsocialistÓ legislation to help Americans gain jobs or health care.

Even after the Senate vote, several Republicans groused about Democrats and the legislation. And Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he didnÕt see the bill as a turning point in the Senate. ÒFrankly,Ó he said, ÒI just donÕt think it was all that big of a deal.Ó

Creating jobs should be a very big deal, but apparently, it isnÕt to Cornyn and the rest of the Republican congressional leadership.

That is a shame. Republicans should reconsider and put aside their petty squabbling to do the work the American people so desperately want them to do.