US Senate scraps Obama jobs bill
President Barack Obama's jobs plan slid to defeat Tuesday against a wall of Senate Republican opposition, but he vowed to fight on amid grim new warnings partisan warfare could spark a new recession.
Two of Obama's own Democrats, who face tough reelection fights in 2012 elections, joined Republicans to vote against the $447 billion bill, which fell well short of the 60-vote supermajority needed to advance in the chamber.
"Tonight's vote is by no means the end of this fight," Obama said.
"With so many Americans out of work and so many families struggling, we can't take 'no' for an answer. Ultimately, the American people won't take 'no' for an answer," said the increasingly embattled president.
In a procedural maneuver that would permit him to bring up the bill again at any time, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid joined the two Democratic lawmakers who cast votes with Republicans.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was asked in an interview with Bloomberg Television whether Republicans were raising the risk of another recession by standing in the way of the bill, replied: "Absolutely."
"If Congress does not act, it will be because Republicans decided they did not want to do anything to help the economy," he said. "Growth will be weaker... people will be out of work,' he warned.
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