http://news.yahoo.com/senate-approve...195627148.html
AP – 5 hrs ago.....
WASHINGTON (AP) — On Veterans Day eve, an uncharacteristically unified Senate emphatically passed a bill to help unemployed veterans and government contractors that includes the first, small slivers of President Barack Obama's jobs agenda that he is likely to sign into law.
Thursday's 95-0 vote gave lawmakers the opportunity to fly home to holiday events and boast about helping veterans and protecting jobs. But it did little to help close the scorching partisan divide over how to revive the gasping economy, an issue that seems sure to decide next year's presidential and congressional elections.
The legislation would award tax credits of up to $9,600 to companies that hire disabled veterans who have been job-hunting for at least half a year and strengthen employment counseling and training programs for vets and troops about to leave the military.
It also would erase a law, yet to take effect, requiring federal, state and local government agencies to withhold 3 percent of their payments to companies with which they conduct business. That law was enacted under President George W. Bush to nudge companies to fully pay their taxes, but lawmakers now say it would fence off money those firms could better use to hire more workers.
The House is expected to approve the bill resoundingly next week, which would send it to Obama.
Beyond increasing to $9,600 the tax credit for hiring disabled veterans, the bill also would create new tax credits of up to $5,600 for employers hiring veterans who have job hunted at least half a year and $2,400 for those out of work for four weeks or more.
In addition, it would expand education and job training benefits for veterans, improve employment counseling they receive while still in the military and provide an extra year of job services for disabled veterans.
Overall, the tax breaks and jobs programs for veterans would cost just over $1 billion, Democratic aides said. It would be paid for by extending a fee the Veterans Affairs Department charges to back home loans.
Annulling the withholding law would cost the government $11.2 billion over the next decade. The legislation makes up the lost revenue by making it harder for some Social Security beneficiaries to qualify for Medicaid, the federal-state health program for low-income people....snip~
Bout time they do something for Vets and buisness owners hiring them. Althought there is an error in the reporting. There was one vote against this bill. It was by Senator Jim Demint. This Putz voted against it. The Day before Veterans Day.
This guy is a straight-up dip$#@!. He is a problem to our system. The People of South Carolina I got a message for yas. Either you vote this Dipstick out of Office. Or we make things difficult for ALL of South Carolina and their little putz-boy, and I mean difficult. Thats even to walkaround anywheres else in this country.
I can't even stand the fact that this $#@! calls himself a Republican. Wish I could bust his $#@!ing head right open just to show the rest of the country there aint $#@! inside this piece of worm meat. To top it off he comes from a State that houses Specialf Forces Troops. Military bases.
Bruthas.....anytime you see this $#@!. Put your foot dead off into his lame azz. >