Is anyone surprised? Obstructionist republicans used a procedural move to block discussion of the American Jobs Act of 2011:
U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 112th Congress – 1st Session
Vote Summary
Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 1660 )
Vote Number: 160 Vote Date: October 11, 2011, 06:34 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Cloture Motion Rejected
Measure Number: S. 1660 (American Jobs Act of 2011)Measure Title: A bill to provide tax relief for American workers and businesses, to put workers back on the job while rebuilding and modernizing America, and to provide pathways back to work for Americans looking for jobs.
Vote Counts: YEAs 50
NAYs 49
Not Voting 1Blunt (R-MO), Nay
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
[emphasis added]
Even Joe Lieberman voted for discussion.
Yep, that’s right, republicans use their arcane Senate rules to stop a discussion that a majority of senators want to have. It’s not like the Senate has been burning the candle at both ends and there’s no time to fit it in.