President Barrack Obama held a news conference today to push for passage of the “American Jobs Act,” which he says will help turn around the economy. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat like Obama, says the act would charge a “surtax” on people who make over one-million dollars.
Harkin says the act “would be raising revenue to pay for infrastructure jobs.” He says the Republicans may try to filibuster the bill, “If they do, well then, there’s not much we can do if you don’t have a willing partner to at least negotiate, and bring it up, offer amendments and move ahead on it.”
Republicans oppose the bill because of its tax hikes. Harkin says the President and Democrats in the House and Senate have laid back too long and not pushed the issue. “Now is the time to understand that there’s a big movement in America, and it’s not just on the Tea Party side,” Harkin says, “it’s on the side of the people who are out of work, who understand the system is rigged against them in terms of taxes and who is paying their fair share. And I think we need to pick that up and move as aggressively as possible on this.”
President Obama said if they don’t take action and pass the bill, there could be even more problems with the economy.