THANK YOU HARRY AND NANCY!

WOWEE!!!  We are all shocked and thrilled today to learn that Harry Reid actually got the “aid to the states bill” passed — we all thought it had been killed by Senate obstructionism.  But, no, our majority leader in the Senate secured the votes of the two Maine senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe today, and surprised everyone by overcoming the threatened filibuster. 

Forty-eight governors have written to the administration pleading for an extension of the support to the states that was given last year — that’s Democratic Governors and Republican Governors!  This $26 billion  will prevent additional job losses for firefighters, police officers, and teachers.  Not only will our citizens be safer from crime and fire, but our children will not have to endure over crowded classrooms and stressed out diminished teaching-staffs. 

This bill is even paid for, by closing a tax loophole for foreign companies with American subsidiaries, and with cuts in spending … a cut in food stamps for one.  So, helping out our states will not even add to the deficit or debt. 

And, yet, 38 Republicans in the Senate voted to block the action. 

If they had prevailed, the job cuts that would have occurred in the states would have had a devastating ripple effect through the country’s economy.  More jobless Americans = more federal spending for unemployment compensation.  More jobless = less money in the pockets of Americans to spend in stores, which in turn means more people laid off in the stores.  And a vicious cycle and spiral into a depression/recession is triggered.

Again — this aid to the states IS COMPLETELY PAID FOR and will not add to the national debt.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates show that the bill would more than pay for itself — even reducing deficits by $1.37 billion over the next decade.  Added revenues of $9.7 billion are estimated — chiefly from foreign tax credit reforms — but two-thirds of the offsets come from spending cuts.

This surprise, win-win bill in the Senate has put the House of Representatives on notice to schedule an emergency recall to Washington, to vote on the revised bill.  Nancy Pelosi has said she is happy to call the House back from August recess to take this vote for the American people.  It will probably occur next week.  — YES, WE CAN!

*** UPDATE:  Republican Leader in the House of Representatives, John Boehner, has said that the aid to the states legislation — that has cleared the 60 vote filibuster bar in the Senate — is an example of Democrats supporting “special interests.”  

Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has just released this statement:  “Incredibly, the Republican Leader John Boehner disparagingly referred to those who teach our children, protect our homes, and keep our streets safe as ‘special interests.’  Washington Republicans are opposed to supporting our teachers, firefighters, and policemen at home in order to protect corporate tax loopholes that promote the export of American jobs.”