Reid introduces Obama’s jobs bill in the Senate

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday introduced President Obama’s American Jobs Act in the Senate.

Reid’s bill, S. 1549, is the text of the proposal that Obama has implored Congress to pass, but which Republicans say has no chance in the House because Obama has proposed to pay for the $447 billion jobs plan with new taxes.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) added on Tuesday that the bill would also make it illegal to discriminate against unemployed workers, which he said would only help trial lawyers and make companies less likely to interview the unemployed.

Reid did not make any written statement upon introduction of Obama’s bill, but the legislation is likely to be taken up in the Senate in order to pressure House Republicans to act. The bill is described as a measure 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.”

So far, no member of the House has introduced Obama’s bill.