Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is reminding Republicans attacking President Obama for traveling around the country promoting his jobs plan that the bus tour seems to be working — polls show most Americans support the plan to get Americans back to work.
Ahead of Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Capitol Hill later Wednesday afternoon, Reid touted poll number after poll number showing strong bipartisan support for the entire jobs package — and overwhelming support for the break-out component introduced in the Senate Monday aimed at putting 400,000 teachers, police officers and first-responders back to work.
“Seventy-five percent of Americans believe we should help state and local governments put teachers, police and firefighters back to work,” Reid said on the Senate floor Wednesday morning, citing a CNN poll released earlier this week. “And 76 percent of Americans agree the wealthiest people in this country should help get our economy back on track.
“I repeat: three out of four Americans - including two-thirds of Republicans - support the Democrats’ Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act,” Reid said. “Republicans in Congress aren’t just out of touch with America - they’re out of touch with other Republicans.”
Republicans, meanwhile, want to make it as difficult as possible for Democrats in purple or red states to vote in favor of any part of the President’s new spending plan. Senate Republicans are trying to drive home their new refrain — that the President’s jobs bill is a second stimulus — ahead of Vice President Joe Biden’s Wednesday afternoon visit with Democrats on Capitol Hill.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has a release on its website targeting Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who is up for reelection, for meeting with Biden and approving both the first $825 billion stimulus, as well as several aspects of the $447 billion jobs package. Although focused on McCaskill, the release was a template, and the NRSC sent out the same one out addressing other vulnerable Democratic senators as well.
“It’s fitting that Vice-President Biden will be joining Senate Democrats like Claire McCaskill on Capitol Hill today because they are some of the only folks in America who actually believe their first $825 billion stimulus was a success story,” NRSC spokesman Chris Bond said today. “The debunked rhetoric and failed economic policies of Claire McCaskill and President Obama have been rejected by taxpayers across the country, and next year the voters of Missouri will have an opportunity to make their voices heard even louder at the ballot box.”
Biden will meet with Senate Democrats and hold a 2:30 p.m. press conference promoting the President’s jobs package.
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