Obama to senators: Explain opposition to jobs bill

"President Obama on Thursday challenged senators who oppose his $447 billion jobs bill to think “long and hard” before they vote on the package next week.

“Any senator out there who’s thinking about voting against this jobs bill … needs to explain why they oppose something that we know will improve our economic situation,” Mr. Obama said at the start of a hastily called news conference in the East Room of the White House. “I hope every senator thinks long and hard about what’s at stake.”

Senate Democratic leaders, who said earlier they didn’t have the votes to pass the plan, finally scheduled the vote for next week after Mr. Obama travels around the country pushing for action on his plan. It would cut payroll taxes, extend unemployment benefits and devote new spending on construction projects in an effort to lower the nation’s unemployment rate of 9.1 percent.

The president has proposed paying for it, in large part, by raising taxes on families earning more than $250,000, although he said Thursday he would accept a plan by Senate Democrats to impose a new 5 percent surcharge on those with incomes of at least $1 million.

“We’ve always said we would be open to a variety of ways to pay for it,” Mr. Obama said. “The approach the Senate is taking, I’m comfortable with.”

Republican lawmakers have said they likely will approve parts of the president’s proposal, but they object to his insistence of passing all elements of the plan."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/6/obama-senators-explain-jobs-bill-opposition/