GOP Defeats Dems' Jobs Bill

In a 57-41 vote, Senate Republicans successfully killed a “tax-extenders bill” that includes tax cuts, aid to states, an extension of unemployment relief, and a delay in a cut to Medicare payments to doctors. Republicans, joined by Democrat Ben Nelson and Independent Joe Lieberman, complained that the spending is not offset with other spending cuts or tax hikes; Democrats, in order to satisfy them, offset all the spending except for the unemployment relief, but it still wasn't enough. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid complained, "Somewhere along the line, throughout these charades, this job-creating, tax-cutting, loophole-closing bill has become a political football and that is really too bad.”