Can Obama save his jobs bill by splitting it up?
A united GOP kills the $447 billion plan in the Senate, and the president vows to soldier on by pushing some of the package's elements individually

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Senate Republicans blocked President Obama's jobs bill on Tuesday, remaining united to prevent Democrats from mustering the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster and move the bill forward. The 50-49 vote essentially ended Obama's chance of passing the entire $447 billion package of tax hikes on the wealthy and stimulus spending — especially since the bill stands no chance in the GOP-dominated House. But the president vowed to push Congress to approve individual pieces of the plan, which has proven popular in polls. Will Obama's new strategy work?
Obama is effectively highlighting GOP obstructionism: The Republican filibuster was "a breathtaking act of economic vandalism," says The New York Times in an editorial. Most economists agree that Obama's proposals would swiftly lift economic growth and put more than 1 million Americans back to work. But the GOP is committed to denying the president a victory — even if it's good for the country. Separating the bill into parts isn't likely to win much GOP support, but at least it will keep the focus on the fact that Obama is "advocating real ideas" while the GOP puts politics over jobs.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And Obama may get some parts of his plan approved: Look, Obama never had a prayer to get his entire bill through Congress, says Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. Even if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had managed to muscle the bill to a final vote, "there was enough Democratic opposition to the bill itself to put the odds of final passage fairly low." But by bringing it up "piecemeal," Obama should get a few things, such as the payroll tax cut (which Republicans are ideologically inclined to support), passed easily.
"Senate blocks Obama jobs bill"
Actually, this strategy exposes Obama's weakness: The president wants people to think the GOP is sabotaging the economy for political gain, says Michael Warren at The Weekly Standard. But the truth is that many Democrats oppose the president's jobs package, too. When Obama presses these issues individually, Americans will continue to see that Republicans aren't "solely responsible" — Democrats are skeptical about Obama's tax hikes, too.
"Obama misleads on opposition to jobs bill"
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Trump surrenders in Georgia election subversion case
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries chosen to succeed Pelosi as leader of House Democrats
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's bid for House speaker may really be in peril
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Are China's protests a real threat for Beijing?
opinion The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web
By Harold Maass Published
-
Who is Nick Fuentes, the white nationalist who dined with Trump and Kanye?
Speed Read From Charlottesville to Mar-a-Lago in just five years
By Rafi Schwartz Published
-
Jury convicts Oath Keepers Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs of seditious conspiracy in landmark Jan. 6 verdict
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
A look at the White House's festive and homey holiday decor
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
Bob Iger addresses 'Don't Say Gay' bill, says inclusion is part of Disney's values
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published