Congress to introduce $80 billion “jobs” bill featuring … no jobs?

Although we do not have the text of the forthcoming jobs bill from Congress, Reuters says they have obtained a copy of the bill.

Update: Michelle Malkin’s Creators Syndicate column discusses the phantom jobs bill.

Very little detail in the Reuters article, so little in fact that I’m going to ask you to click on the link provided even though I’m posting the full piece. My emphasis in bold.

A jobs-creation bill that could pass the Senate this week would delay a scheduled 20 percent reduction in doctor payments under the Medicare health-insurance program, according to a copy of the text obtained by Reuters.

The bill also extends soon-to-expire jobless payments, healthcare subsidies for the unemployed and highway-funding programs, according to the text of the bill, which has not yet been introduced.

I supposed there may be a few “jobs” including in extending highway funding, but come on. I thought the president and Congress were serious about working on the unemployment problem here in America?

How about introducing … oh hell, I’m not going to even ask.

Steve Gilbert over at Sweetness & Light points out a good chunk of the $80 billion “jobs” bill will be going towards an extension of unemployment benefits. Gilbert links to the Washington Post piece from today.

As the Senate this week considers a “jobs bill” to reduce unemployment, lawmakers will have to decide whether to continue an unprecedented change in how the country treats people who are out of work, which was quietly approved last year.

Through a series of laws, including the $787 billion economic stimulus, people in states with high rates of unemployment are eligible to get jobless benefits for up to 99 weeks, an all-time high. But Congress did this in a piecemeal fashion, and it must pass legislation to keep benefits going for an estimated 1 million people who would otherwise become ineligible at the end of the month. …

Congress not only has extended them but also is spending more than $13 billion each month to fund them, because the federal government is taking on all the cost after the 26 weeks, which states pay for.

Normal benefits are 26 weeks. We’re up to 99 weeks now.

Jobless recovery anyone?

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

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