Would you believe that the reason the unemployment rate is so high is that Senate Democrats have obstructed all the many Republican jobs bills that passed the House? If you believe Speaker John Boehner, aka Agent Orange, that’s what has happened. But believing Boehner is a very bad idea, because John Boehner is a liar, and here is the proof that he is lying.
I keep hearing this ridiculous canard in Republican debates and now from John Boehner about the alleged jobs bills the Republicans have passed that the "Democrat Senate" refuses to act upon. Since I watched the better part of their activity in real time, I know this is a lie. But most people aren’t obsessive-compulsive about government and politics and might not realize just how much of a lie it is. So without further ado, let me debunk this claim made by the disingenuous Speaker of the House…
…To make sure they back up their public claims with what might appear to be "fact", they’ve built a page on the House of Representatives site with a list of their so-called jobs bills [GOP delinked], which number 27 and not 30 as the Speaker claims. What follows is a list and a brief explanation of why they are not jobs bills. Feel free to share it widely with your friends who might be inclined to believe Mr. Tobacco Lobbyist Check Distributor without questioning it.
HR 3630 – The Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act of 2011 – This bill does indeed extend the "docfix" and unemployment insurance for a year, but with a hefty price [GOP delinked].
- In addition to freezing federal workers’ pay for three years, it requires issuance of a permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline in advance of the proposed routing by Nebraska, suspends the newly-issued mercury regulations and extends 100% expensing of business equipment (including private jets). Another so-called "jobs bill", HR 1938 [GOP delinked], was passed giving a November 1, 2011 deadline for the Keystone pipeline.
- With regard to unemployment insurance benefits, it cuts the 99-week maximum down to a 59-week maximum by mid-2012, allow states to drug-test UI recipients, and allow states to reduce state unemployment benefits and substitute federal funds. It also cuts funding for key provisions of the Affordable Care Act coming online, and adds the requirement to welfare payments that EBT cards cannot work in strip clubs, liquor stores and casinos.
- Provisions were included to auction more broadband spectrum and reclassify the 700mhz D Block as public safety broadband use only, which would be a huge payoff to Verizon Wireless lobbyists, who won that block with requirements that it remain open, after Google challenged the auction process.
- It would force Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to pay increased guarantee fees similar in scope to those due from large banks as a part of the Dodd-Frank Act, means-tests unemployment insurance benefits and food stamp programs and increases Federal employees’ contributions to their retirement system by 1.5% while freezing pay, so their pensions take a double-whammy.
- Finally, it repeals the new timing rules for estimated corporate tax payments for companies with assets of $1 billion or more so that they can use payments of estimated taxes as a timing tool for fourth quarter profit declarations.
None of the provisions outlined above create jobs. They called it a jobs act, but it was really just an act… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>
Here’s the video of Boehner lying.
Now, I included the author’s coverage of only one of the bills that Boehner has lied about. The author goes on to debunk all the rest, s I encourage you to click through for the rest.
The truth here is that Republicans have blocked virtually every measure to help the economy, and with it, the availability of jobs. What they have not blocked outright, they have watered down and directed resources to millionaires, billionaires, and corporate criminals, instead of jobs. They have intentionally sabotaged the economy, because the better America does, the worse their chances of lying their way into power, a catastrophic fate for the US.
20 Responses to “Agent Orange Lies about Jobs Bills”
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He is a out and out liar. The stimulus worked the bailout worked and so much that Obama did in is frist couple of yrs as President help this economy. And to boot he did even tho the republians vetod and were the party of NO NO NO. Obama has his worked cut out. The best to start is state of the union address tonight. Also say what he plans to do in the next four yrs.
Oh by the way TomCat I love the new name Agent Orange
Mama, that’s an old name. It’s a TC original, but I coined it when he first became Speaker.
I sincerely hope that President Obama will continue to show his balls towards this mentally challenged group of losers. They are destroying the country.
Laura, I certainly agree.
Applying the “John Boehner Standard” of what constitutes a “Jobs Bill” more broadly, then O.J. Simpson would have to be considered a model citizen and Casey Anthony should be teaching parenting classes.
And anyone who accepts Boehner’s Standards understands neither jobs, nor the economy, nor legislating, nor anything else at the level needed to contribute anything worthwhile to the discussion. (Then again, he’s a repubican – so I guess I’m being redundant.)
Can’t add a thing– who is surprised to find a liar telling lies ? Agent Orange-lol– good one1
Oh Nameless, so right on!
Count me in this club!
Now now…. Junket John hasn’t drawn a sober breath since the first Bush was President, so he has no idea what the hell he’s saying. About the only things John is sure of are lobbyist payoffs and a well-stocked liquor cabinet.
He hasn’t since the second Bush was in diapers.
Did you notice in the interview how the interviewer brought up Mr Obama’s jobs bill and Boehner didn’t even respond, but kept up his party line rhetoric? Unfortunately he didn’t go back for the full court press, but then, that’s Faux Noise. Mr Obama and the Democrats are not perfect, but who can follow these neanderthal Republican/Teabaggers?
What Boehner doesn’t say is that there are so many Republican/Teabagger caveats on each bill, that there is no choice but to not pass them. As en example, look at the Payroll tax-cut bill that would benefit the middle and working class. The Republican/Teabaggers saddled that one with the approval of the Keystone XL. It was modified to provide a 2 month extension for the payroll tax-cut and 60 days to approve the Keystone XL. Well last week, Mr Obama gave the party of No an answer to Keystone XL “NO!”. Of course Boehner publically had a hissy fit and said that the XL would have meant 100,000 jobs, which were now lost. Another lie! Even TransCanada Pipelines said that their original jobs estimate (wasn’t it about 45,000?) was way out of the ball park, but they were trying to get approval, in a jobs economy, so what’s a little lie?! Right, short term some jobs, temporary jobs, but in the final analysis about 60 full time jobs in the US and about 540 in Canada. If Boehner got shingles for every lie he told, he’d have terminal itchiness!
I did, and it shocked me. I think the interviewer was giving him an opportunity to propagandize and flabbergasted that he couldn’t. Exactly.
This may earn an award for dumbest post of the day, but I just have to vent here.
My God, is that man really that color? Not a lot to be said for tanning booths. Either that, or the nicotine is oozing out of his pores.
Angelica, I helped a little, but VERY little.
Boner is a lying, hopeless drunk whose incoherent drivel should never be listened to by anyone.
And that was a complement!
Methinks he should start worrying about his own job.
Ideally, he will no longer be speaker, because hos party loses the majority.
It was painful for me to click on the “play” button since I knew it was a FOX “News” link, but I was pleasantly surprised to see someone on FOX actually defending Obama a little! Wow! Maybe there is hope after all!
BTW TomCat, I LOVE the Agent Orange nick name! BEST nick name for anyone EVER!!!!! 🙂
Sam, I think he was searching for an answer to hurt Obama. Boehner just didn’t have one.
I hung that one on him when he became Speaker.