Florida Republicans are turning up the heat on Democrats, including Sen. Bill Nelson, as yet another threatened federal government shutdown looms Friday.
The GOP-controlled House and Democratic-run Senate are at loggerheads over a House-passed bill that would extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, as well as speed up permitting for the Keystone XL pipeline.
President Barack Obama has vowed to veto any measure containing the Keystone provision, and, in a bid to kill the GOP plan, Democrats are stalling a spending bill that will keep the government funded past Friday.
But Senate Democrats blinked late Wednesday, saying they were dropping their demand for a surtax on millionaires to fund an extension of a payroll tax cut. Details of the still-developing plan were not immediately available.
Republicans, meantime, say they've compromised enough.
"The only obstacle -- and this is becoming a familiar refrain to those who have been watching jobs bill after jobs bill pass the House but stall in the Senate -- is [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid," said Michael Mahaffey, spokesman for Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta.
"Apparently, Sen. Reid and President Obama are so opposed to 20,000 new jobs that theyre willing to risk a government shutdown in order to get the Keystone Pipeline stripped from a jobs bill that has nothing to do with the bill to keep the government open."
Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Tallahassee, said the sidetracking of Keystone has already cost his district "hundreds" of manufacturing and engineering.
"Main Street America expects action from its representatives. The House has passed 27 growth bills that have withered on the vine in the Senate. If Obama is consistent in wanting us to hurry, the Senate should take up this legislation," Southerland said.
Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, added:
There is no reason for a government shutdown if Senate Democrats and the White House stop playing politics with Americas economy.
"Yesterday, the House passed a bill that extends the payroll tax cut, extends and reforms unemployment insurance and protects seniors without imposing burdensome tax hikes on Americas job creators.
"Senate Democrats and the White House need to take action and support these sensible, bipartisan measures that will help struggling American families and businesses, and prevent a government shutdown," Rivera said.
Lenny Curry, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, singled out Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who is up for re-election in 2012.
"The president is playing class warfare, putting politics first. It looks like Reid and Nelson will do everything they can to keep playing these games," Curry said.
Nelson's office did not respond to a request for comment from Sunshine State News. Neither did Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fort Lauderdale, or Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville.
I am sorry I have not had a chance to get back to you. My boss has been very much tied up all day is this something you will be writing about again tomorrow? I will have a better shot at getting him in touch with you.
Ashley Mushnick, communications director for Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, deferred comment until Thursday.
White House spokesman Jay Carney, focusing on payroll tax relief, said in a statement:
"This is not a time for Washington Republicans to score political points against the president.This Congress needs to do its job and stop the tax hike thats scheduled to affect 160 million Americans in 18 days."
Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, said, The biggest obstacle right now is that the administration and Sen. Reid want to simply increase the deficit by $150 billion and stick our children and grandchildren with the bill.
"The whole discussion this fall has been about how to reduce the deficit and now they want to simply ignore that and borrow money to pay for a short-term benefit.
"The days of borrowing without consequences has ended and too many in Washington should just look to the chaos in Europe to see what will happen if we go down their path.
Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Jacksonville, said, As a conferee on the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, I am working closely with my colleagues to work out the differences on appropriations bills so we can get the economy moving and put Americans back to work.
"I hope that politics as usual do not hold up these negotiations, he said.
Alex Conant, spokesman for Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said, "Senate Republicans have been encouraging Senate Democrats to first deal with the deadline that happens this Friday and fund the government through the rest of the fiscal year."
Rubio's office deferred additional comment to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who lambasted the Democratic majority.
"Our friends across the aisle have no plan, and some might suggest no desire, to pass a payroll tax cut extension -- the presidents top priority -- extend unemployment insurance or ensure seniors access to medical care.
"Theyve made no attempt at all to produce a bill that can pass the Senate. It is their responsibility in the majority to do.Instead weve wasted week after week with one senseless show vote after another -- votes that one member of the Democrat Senate leadership recently admitted were designed solely to score points on millionaires," said McConnell, R-Ky.
The Democrats' apparent concession on the millionaire surtax may not be enough to satisfy Republicans, who believe they have the political winds at their back, with new polls showing Obama's popularity tumbling to new lows.
Further undermining the administration's bargaining position, a Gallup Poll this week suggested that Americans may not be as fearful of a federal government shutdown as they once were.
The poll reported that 64 percent of respondents listed big government as the No. 1 threat to the country. Even among Democratic voters, the figure was 48 percent -- up from 32 percent since Obama took office in January 2009.
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
