By Greg Sargent
Some very interesting news from Harry Reid’s conference call with reporters just now: Reid confirmed that he will continue to force Senate Republicans to vote again and again on jobs policies that are funded by the popular surtax on millionaires.
Reid announced that the Senate would vote in early November on the next provision in Obama’s jobs bill: The Rebuild America Jobs Act. The plan would create a national infrastructure bank and would invest $50 billion in upgrading highways, rail, and bridges, with the goal of putting thousands of construction workers back on the job, and would be paid for by a 0.7 percent surtax on income in excess of $1 million.
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“The Senate GOP has had a love affair for many years now with Grover Norquist — they will not touch any new revenues,” Reid said. “They are not in touch with reality or their own constituents. But they are in touch with Grover Norquist.”
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“The Republicans in the Senate are the only group of people in America that feel this way,” Reid said, in a reference to their opposition to the millionaire surtax. “Around the country, Democrats, independents, and Republicans support what we’re trying to do.” As it happens, large majorities also support increased infrastructure spending — including of GOP voters.
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