Senate

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday said that while President Obama talks about the need to create jobs, his policy decisions in three key areas go against his rhetoric.

"The fact is, many Americans have a hard time believing the president is focused on jobs when so many of his policies seem to be designed to destroy them," McConnell said on the Senate floor.

The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. for speeches, and soon thereafter resumes work on S. 782, the Economic Development Revitalization Act of 2011. This bill would expand funding for the Public Works and Economic Development Administration (EDA).

On Wednesday, the Senate held its big vote on an amendment to delay limits on debit card fees, which failed in a 54-45 vote. Republicans have several other amendments to the bill, including one that would provide for a clean debt-ceiling increase, one that makes estate tax relief permanent, and even one that would completely defund the EDA.

The House will return briefly for a pro-forma session at 10:30 a.m., as it did Tuesday morning.

A bipartisan coalition backed Sen. Dick Durbin, rejecting a heavily lobbied proposal to delay debit-card swipe-fee regulations.

"The president has failed to provide Congress with a compelling rationale" for activity in Libya, it says.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday brought an amendment to the Senate floor that would increase the federal debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion without any spending conditions. 

"This will comply with the President’s budget," said Paul from the floor. "Many on the other side have asked for a clean vote on the debt ceiling and because I really want to get along I want to make this vote available to those who want to raise the debt ceiling. I will vote no but I wanted to do this in consideration of the majority’s wishes.” 

Read more...

The Senate will consider an amendment to delay new rules on debit-card fees, a battle pitting banks against retailers.

House Financial Services Committee ranking member Barney Frank (D-Mass.) announced his support Wednesday for Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-Mont.) amendment that would delay limits on debit-card fees charged to businesses.

“I think it’s a good, balanced, compromise approach," said Frank, a chief architect of last year's Wall Street reform bill. "I support it and I hope it will pass.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday accused President Obama of doing "everything he can behind the scenes to block [energy] production" and "kill energy-related jobs."

“He publicly claims to support greater domestic production and the jobs that come with it, even as he seems to do everything he can behind the scenes to block production and to kill energy-related jobs here at home," accused McConnell from the Senate floor.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday introduced an amendment to the Economic Development Revitalization Act that would increase the federal debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion, which Paul is hoping will demonstrate the lack of support for a clean increase without further spending curbs.

Paul's proposed increase in the debt ceiling to $16.7 trillion is similar to a House Republican increase that failed in a 318-97 vote in late May. That bill was also designed to demonstrate to Senate Democrats and the White House that the debt ceiling can only be raised as part of a plan to reduce overall spending levels.

Wednesday's planned Senate vote on whether to delay limits on debit-card fees charged to businesses has split Senate Democrats, which is forcing a more cautious debate in the upper chamber as members approach a 2 p.m. vote.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has argued strenuously all week against delaying limits on fees, but cautioned on Wednesday morning that this opposition should not be read as a more serious dispute between himself and Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.).

"Any remarks that I make today are no reflection on them at all," Durbin said. "I think they're both honorable people who are standing tall for their point of view, which I happen to disagree with.