Teachers/ First Responders Back to Work Act is blocked.

Ernest Hinojosa III

10/25/11

                               Teachers/ First Responders Back to Work Act is blocked.

   Job creation is an important and current political issue in the United States. With an unemployment rate at 9.1% it is clear that there are millions of Americans out of work. Both republicans and democrats have their own political points of view on how some of their ideas can help revitalize the economy and create more jobs.  In this week's memo I will discuss the Teachers/ First Responders Back to Work Act that was recently blocked by republicans.

   The Teachers/ First Responders Back to Work Act, is a bill that democrats believe will  help create or save about 400,000 jobs for teachers, police, and first responders. The bill apparently would have been fully paid for with a 0.5% surtax on taxpayers making more than $1million a year. The bill was just recently blocked by republicans. Democratic Senator Harry Reid was one along with other democrats who tried pushing the bill through. Senator Reid made the following statement after the bill was blocked by republicans, "Unfortunately, protecting millionaires and defeating President Obama are more important to my republican colleagues than creating jobs and getting our economy back on track. Democrats agree with the overwhelming majority of Americans that teachers and first responder jobs are worth defending, while lower taxes for millionaires and billionaires are not. “Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders was also in support of the Teachers Job Bill. He told Ed Schultz of MSNBC. “Republicans are living on another planet, not even recognizing the severity of the crisis, let alone doing anything about it.

  In conclusion with the attempt of democrats trying to legislate their bill to create more jobs, the republicans succeeded in blocking the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act.  According to democrats, The Teachers Job Bill was an attempt that would have helped created or saved about 400,000 jobs. A surtax for millionaires and billionaires was to be included in the bill to help pay for it. Most republicans believe that this bill would have just been another act of wasteful spending.