Fundamental Question to Harry Reid and President Obama: "Where's The Leadership?"

No Recovery! No Leadership!
Img by Chrissy

Today in Washington, D.C. - Nov. 29, 2011:
According to American Research Group, 60% of adults think the economy is in a recession; 24% say the economy is not in a recession.

Dismal Economic Snapshot:
Current Deficit: $98.5 billion
Current National Debt: $15.04 trillion
Debt Per Household: $133,521
Debt Per Individual: $48,086
Unemployment Rate: 9%
Consecutive Months of Budget Deficit: 37

Both the Senate and House will be in session today. The Senate resumed consideration of S. 1867, the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Authorization bill. Votes on amendments are likely today.

Last night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed cloture on the Defense authorization bill, setting up a cloture vote for Wednesday. We identified yesterday that Defense Authorization Bill Has A Hidden Provision Threatening American Citizens. Another source on this issue - Battlefield US: Americans face arrest as war criminals under Army state law.

Also, an amendment /  provision  was added  by voice vote to the Defense Authorization Bill that would add the National Guard chief to sit with the heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines ― none of whom have ever served in the Guard ― and provide the Guard, for the first time, permanent representation among the nation's senior military officers.  Interesting since the NG belong individually to the States and are under the control of State Governors.  However, in the last 25 years the US Military suffered draw downs and then subsequent reliance on on activating National Guard units to fill military units.  The response by the senators is to grant the NG chief a voice on the Joint Chiefs of Staff who are responsible for logistical operations, training and support of the US Military.

Yesterday the Senate voted 88-0 to confirm Christopher Droney to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit.

The House today may take consider the following bills which are under
suspension (super majority needed to pass):
HR 1801 — Armed forces security screening
HR 2465 — Workers’ compensation (Federal Workers' Compensation Modernization and Improvement Act)
HR 3012 — Immigrants (Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act)
HR 2192 — National Guard debt relief

Yesterday, MarketWatch reported, “Senate Democrats said Monday they’ll seek a tax of 3.25% on incomes of more than $1 million to pay for a one-year extension of a payroll tax cut, setting up a fresh clash over tax policy with Republicans. ‘Americans want us to cut taxes on the middle class, and ask millionaires to pay their fair share,’ Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Monday.”

And according to Roll Call today, “Reassured by recent polling data on the public's anger over rising income inequality, Senate Democrats will continue to push for tax increases on the wealthy to offset aid to the middle class — an issue they believe will help define the 2012 elections.”

Democrats are so focused on pushing this surtax, they’ve been proposing measures that include it for months now. Yet they seem untroubled that it would hit small business owners at a time they’re already struggling to create jobs. A month ago, the Chamber of Commerce warned Democrats that the tax increase “would significantly impair the ability of small businesses and entrepreneurs to create jobs and grow the U.S. economy.” The Chamber singled out the tax hike as “a burdensome and onerous tax increase on America’s small businesses, entrepreneurs and other job creators.”

Around the same time, a coalition of jobs groups wrote of Senate Democrats’ favorite tax, “the Obama Administration's own data demonstrates that 4 out of 5 of the taxpayers who will face this surtax are business owners” and pointed out that “the burden of the proposed tax increases would fall disproportionately on the income of America's small and mid-sized businesses.”

Americans have seen enough of the status quo when “Democrats decide they’d prefer to have a political issue to run on than solutions to vote on,” as Sen. GOP Leader McConnell put it. It’s time to drop the political posturing and for Democrats to work with Republicans on bipartisan legislation that can address our economic problems. Democrats’ singular focus on raising taxes on job creators and political gamesmanship is not going to help our economy.

Rob Jesmer, NRSC Executive Director, has hit the nail on the head: "After the Supercommittee failed to reach a deal, Harry Reid proclaimed, 'Republicans never found the courage.' But, what have the Democrats in the Senate done other than fight tooth and nail to defeat every spending cut our party's proposed? They've worked hand-in-glove to support President Obama's drive to spend, spend, spend!

"Despite the political blame games here in Washington, they're not fooling the American people. It's Harry Reid and Barack Obama who continue to fail the country. They've chosen time and again to reject Republicans' bold solutions to reduce our country's staggering $15 trillion debt. Instead, they've opted to kick the can down the road again."

And so my fundamental question to Harry Reid and President Obama is "Where's the leadership?"

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