Teacher Aid Is First Piece Of Obama's Jobs Plan To Get Senate Vote

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democratic leaders have settled on which piece of President Barack Obama's jobs plan they want to move on first: $35 billion for state and local governments to rehire teachers, police and firefighters.

"Our expectation [is] that the first measure will be teachers," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said during a Monday press gaggle aboard Air Force One.

"I didn't want to get ahead of Senator Reid," Carney said of breaking the news. "We have been in consultation with him, but it’s his prerogative and we’re very pleased that he will be taking it up."

During a conference call, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he plans to unveil the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act later Monday and decide "in the next day or two" when to hold a vote on it. He said the bill would keep 400,000 teachers and first responders on the job, and would be paid for by imposing a 5 percent tax on millionaires.

Asked which pieces of Obama's jobs plan are next in line for Senate votes, Reid demurred. But he said he has already settled on the next four votes on pieces of Obama's bill and is waiting to meet with the Democratic Caucus on Tuesday before discussing his plan publicly.

"There is no reason we cannot finish the appropriations bills before the end of the week, and have a vote on this jobs bill," Reid told reporters on the call. “I am happy to keep the Senate in session as long as needed to make sure we get a vote on this jobs bill."

Reid's office also sent out a fact sheet that highlights past votes and statements by Republicans in favor of jobs bills similar to the teacher/first responders aid bill. The fact sheet cites a May 2010 press release by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) saying he was "proud" to help secure funds for first responders. It also points to a March 2007 vote to fully fund the COPS program; it included the support of 16 GOP senators.

During a speech earlier Monday in Fletcher, N.C., Obama knocked Senate Republicans for voting down his entire $447 billion jobs package last week. All Republicans opposed a procedural vote to begin debate on the bill, along with two Democrats. Obama said his push to break out pieces of his bill and hold individual votes on them gives Republicans "another chance" to act on jobs.

"Maybe they just couldn't understand the whole thing all at once," Obama said, drawing laughs from the crowd of supporters. "So we're going to break it up into bite-sized pieces so they can take a thoughtful approach to this legislation."

"So this week, I'm going to ask members of Congress to vote on one component of the plan, which is whether we should put hundreds of thousands of teachers back in the classroom and cops back on the street and firefighters back to work."

Of course, the reality is that Republicans are poised to vote against any piece of Obama's plan because they don't like how it is paid for: by raising taxes on millionaires and ending subsidies for the oil and gas industry. But with the 2012 elections in mind, Obama and Democratic leaders plan to keep lining up votes anyway to build the case that Republicans are voting against jobs and the economy in the name of protecting corporate interests.

This story has been updated with information on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's conference call Monday.

Comments

[hammond72]

05:57 PM on 10/18/2011

$35B to rehire laid off teachers and first responders for 1 year, These are job rentals to appease unions.
These positons were previously funded at the state or local level. What happens after one year and the economy has not recovered? Does BO continue to fund these programs? At what point does the federal govt take over all funding for teachers and first responderrs? More importantly, who decides which states/local entities get this funding and which do not? States with taxpayers paying for their own teachers and first responders are now expected to also pay for those that do not.
Those that do not, should reorganize their priorities and either cut the program or fund it from another state/local source.

[roaddawg31]

01:10 PM on 10/19/2011

That IS the thing. The districts that get this money do nothing to accomodate d situation. Like a newborn baby who can't hardly roll over, districts just sit there and suck on the gov't teet as if they can't do anything else. S-T-R-E-T-C-H the funds. Do things (e.g. take paycuts across the board in the district) to ease/free up funds that will allow this money to go beyond ONE year. It's a ridiculous exercise, besides the fact that I doubt it will go toward anything substantial, if history is any guide. For example, I certainly think that furlough days that were taken away from teachers (salaries) will be given back to them, before they even consider hiring back teachers. And how does this even help brand new teachers find work?

[Grabski]

01:31 PM on 10/18/2011

We need that NEA money and those NEA volunteers for the re-elect

[marymeade2]

11:31 AM on 10/18/2011

Speech, speech, speech, plan, plan, plan. The only reality is that this country is in dire straights and it's the fault of speech, speech, speech, plan, plan, plans that have gone nowhere because they are not good.

[roaddawg31]

11:04 AM on 10/18/2011

Here's how to make this become a PROFOUND difference in both education and helping kickstart the economy:

Hire teachers on a "probationary" basis, all at a reduced "starting salary" as deemed by the districts. Watch the good, young candidates line up. I'm not saying that teachers don't deserve the money mind you, or that this is what I thinkt hey're worth, or anything of the sort. I'm illustrating how DESPERATE young teachers are JUST FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. (The same opportunity that tenured teachers take for granted.) That's all young teachers want at this point--they want a purpose, they want a reason to wake up in the morning besides babysitting or whatever else it is they have to do, because there are no teaching jobs.

With lowered salaries, you can hire more young people. And JUST WATCH how this sparks a school community. WATCH. You'll have a new guard coming in, and watch the enthusiasm, watch the bright smiling faces (of the new teacher), and watch how they change the culture for the better. (Since most school districts are populated now by jaded, bloated housewives.)

Alas, me saying this, it will never happen. They'll certainly reinstitute furlough days (padding current teacher pockets) before anything else happens...

[Dede Eagleburger]

12:28 PM on 10/18/2011

I was like that! I was desperate just for the opportunity...it took three years but my patience paid off!

[Cheryl Craven]

06:00 PM on 10/18/2011

You are so wrong. After these new young teacher starting teaching and they find out how much paperwork they have to do in 45 minutes, all at the same time plan lessons that will effective affect the kids they will not come back. Let me also mention the apathy kids that really could care less about learning anything besides twitter, and facebook. What you are saying is BS.I have watched the educational system become watered down over the pass 7 years since No Kids Left Behind has been instituted. Administrators are so afraid of losing their jobs they have meeting almost everyday with teachers after school to create more work for them. Work that is not done effective because there is no time to do it all. Teachers only get 45 minutes to plan and most of that time is done filling out excel sheets to support data for administrators and not planning to help the kids. They are staying to 5 or 6 pm just to make sure they check papers, plan work for the next day, and call parents and tutor. They are overworked and underpaid. It ticks me off to know someone like you can say what you did and don't know what is really going on. I would not advise anyone to go into teacher now. FIND ANOTHER CAREER. IT SUCKS AS OF 3 YEARS AGO.

[roaddawg31]

08:30 PM on 10/18/2011

If it "sucks" as you put it, why would you do it? And please don't give me the rhetoric ("It's for the kids") Be honest. How much is it that you just don't have anything else to fall back on, and you've poured your career into it already?

If you are honest, that will be your answer. And that's fine. But then, your comment shows me that you have no regard for the number of your so-called teaching brethren who are laid-off and/or can't find employment. I mean... regard beyond your words of commiseration on a condolensce card or wearing a pink t-shirt. Your comment is a quite typical answer, in that teachers are ignorant and have played a large part in letting their profession become co-opted by special interests, because they were asleep at the wheel (i.e. let their union take them down whatever road they saw fit).

[bealebkk]

10:17 AM on 10/18/2011

since when did the feds start to hire these people?
...this move will come back to haunt every state involved

[swlewis57]

10:14 AM on 10/18/2011

If we can't afford to retain teachers, police, and firefighters, then we certainly can't afford to subsidize those tax breaks for the rich and oil companies.

[kevinclennon]

09:18 AM on 10/18/2011

wouldn't Infastructure spending be a better way to jump start economy? Please explain how hiring teachers and firemen will jump start economy. Sounds political. Local taxes that should pay for these items. the feds don't have to balance the budget states do. Keep printing money? its a tax people on everybody rich and poor.

[lindsers83]

09:14 AM on 10/18/2011

I have yet to hear anything from either side I agree with. There are many good people I know in education who have lost their jobs and as one, I would just like to say - I'm still thankful to have a job. Why we wouldn't support keeping and rehiring the GOOD teachers in our country baffles me. In our state/district there have been freezes in pay for the last 4 years. This is my 6th year of teaching. Increases have happened across the board in various healthcare/insurance coverages. I keep a budget but that doesn't stop yearly hikes in insurance, goods and services worldwide and in our communities. I'm waiting to hear someone say they support teachers and others who do a public service but are also going to figure out how to pay attention to the deficit and...God forbid - get CREATIVE and INNOVATIVE in how things are done. That's lacking in our schools these days - teachers teaching to the test because of NCLB and RtTT. Want to compete in our world? Bring that and real world problem solving back.

[kevinclennon]

09:38 AM on 10/18/2011

Out of control. My nephew in a class with 16 students. They need a teacher and Teachers aid. Then they try and force every child to take the govermnet food assistance. Two meals aday? When I went to school 20-30 kids in class one teacher that did thier job. Maybe two kids that need food aid. Parents our not responsible for anything? Its not a money problem Its a accountability problem. I agree we should hire GOOD teachers back.

[kevinclennon]

09:42 AM on 10/18/2011

Your right they should teach not prepare for a test. Creative and innovation our the keys to the future. I believe the freemarket is what enables this more then anything. Goverment should not pick winners and loser's this hurt's Innovation and creativity more then brainwashed students.

[Jutsapoorwhiteboy]

08:55 AM on 10/18/2011

We had 1 rich guy stand forward and say "tax me" , we have a federal government stepping into public schools as well as our "standardized police state" (allowed no less regardless of public opinion), and we have Obama which I would say is quite unique in his own way, paving those stepping stones for those who really believe this approach is the vitals of our nations economy and wellfare... personally I think this is just one of the many attempts of Obama to try and solidify another election... and in my opinion the U.S. is better off without the Obama types...

[kevinclennon]

09:20 AM on 10/18/2011

I agreee, but it takes all kinds to make the world spin. Everybody deserves a voice.

[hammond72]

06:02 PM on 10/18/2011

The firm owned by the rich guy owes the IRS (and all US taxpayers) slightly less than $1B in unpaid corporate taxes.

[Poindexter718]

08:55 AM on 10/18/2011

August employment was flat, but would have been up sharply were it not for public sector layoffs; private sector jobs actually grew. I appreciate the TP's focus on deficits (though I wonder why they were silent when the last guy added a new entitlement and kept two wars off the balance sheet), but destroying jobs--any kind of jobs--is the absolute worst thing we can be doing right now.
What the economy needs more than anything, more than infrastructure projects that take 12 months to ramp up and more than extending the Bush tax cuts for millionnaires so they can add to their brokerage accounts, is consumer demand. And school teachers and firefighters and police officers spend their paychecks in the private sector.

[kevinclennon]

09:24 AM on 10/18/2011

whats the return on your money? 0. Infrastrure should be ready to go after first failed stimulius. That was one of there excuses takes to long. That was threee years ago should be ready to go now. You have to ask your self whats the hold up ,Republicans? Listen to Obamas speech in Ashville he is being political he dosen't care about you or me.

[Poindexter718]

09:49 AM on 10/18/2011

I have no interest in debating the efficacy of infrastructure spending with you because that was not my point. My point was that cutting jobs--government jobs or otherwise--is one of the dumbest things we can be doing right now, given the fragile state of the economy. As such, federal money that goes directly to preserving existing jobs or reinstating recently eliminated ones is money well spent at this juncture. We can have a needed debate about long-term austerity in the coming months, but that doesn't change the fact that cutting jobs now, during a tenuous recovery, is madness.

[mustardhead98]

08:41 AM on 10/18/2011

Good one Obama. You're dividing the country, supporting unions and sticking it to the "wealthy" all in the same sentence!!

Every speech this man gives has come down to how much more polarizing it can be than the next. He claims this is a "jobs tour" when all it is is a shameful campaign play for people who aren't educated on politics and who will believe his less than truthful rhetoric about the rich, about republicans and about himself.

[lawdetective]

08:37 AM on 10/18/2011

how soon is this time? this is something that has been discussed so many times. i am so tired of waiting already
can't they ever decide on something?

[goolfballl]

08:33 AM on 10/18/2011

Tax a select number of successful people to put more money into public unions. Typical Obama thought process and the reason our economy continues to go south.

[kevinclennon]

09:31 AM on 10/18/2011

I live in south carolina he,s not helping us? HA?HA? It's sad but true. South carolina has been under attack the last 50 years from FED. First they ran tobacco farms away. we still buy ciggerette's why not grow it here. The cotton Industry we still grow it we just send most over seas so they build things and send it back. Now we start to make moves in manufacturing and they go after boeing. When does the assualt stop! I wonder if unions had any force in these decisions?

[Ron Maede]

08:12 AM on 10/18/2011

LBJ famously said, "Let's make the sob's deny it."

I love this strategy.

Force them to vote against your agenda every single day. Then sit back and watch them try to wriggle off the hook they swallowed as they try to explain their actions (inaction) to an electorate that only cares about JOBS.

Brilliant.

[mustardhead98]

08:43 AM on 10/18/2011

Obama's "brilliant" strategy is to go after the people least educated about politics, create a class warfare-make them despise those better off than themselves, make himself out to be their hero and wait for their support to come rolling in. THAT imo isn't brilliant; it's disdainful.

[altollew]

07:57 AM on 10/18/2011

Harry reids idea of "very soon" is like the sign in the bar that reads "free beer tomorrow"