Dems Hustling for Jobs Bill

In a move that’s already garnering criticism from their Republican counterparts, Democrats are rushing to put together a bill for January that would devote billions of dollars to the creation of new jobs. The bill comes in response to a double-digit unemployment rate—an estimated 3.49 million jobs have been lost over the past year—that Dems say the stimulus legislation failed to address. Rep Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) called the results of the stimulus package “scattershot,” saying it served to create “a job here and a job there, trickled out over time.” Rep Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) said: “We have to create jobs, and we have to create them right away.” Another large spending package raises questions about the growing government deficit, and policymakers are looking into new ways to make ends meet, including a proposed 25-cent tax on stock transactions, a move Timothy Geithner has criticized. Regardless of cost, Democrats are determined to get moving on what could be a key issue in coming elections. "Democrats have to address the No. 1 concern of their constituents—and that is, by a long shot, jobs,” said a Democratic aide.