Senate Republicans blocked a $30-billion plan to help community banks boost lending to small businesses, dealing a blow to President Barack Obama’s election-year battle to reduce unemployment.
Tempers ran high as Democratic leaders failed to muster the 60 votes needed to advance the measure over a Republican filibuster…
Even if the Senate passes the small business lending bill next week, it will be too late to get it to Obama’s desk before mid-September. The House of Representatives, which passed its version of the bill in June, is set to begin a six-week break on Friday. The House will be unable to vote on the version passed by the Senate until then…
Obama has been pushing for passage of the lending measure arguing that getting more capital into the hands of independent community bankers would lead to more small business loans. It is supported by independent bankers and business groups.
Right now, in my neck of the prairie, there is no sector of banking with more energy and activity than small business lending. Every penny made available to community banks would be going straight back out the door into economic stimulus – and to qualified borrowers at that.
The Republican Party could care less.
Sadly the GOP has brainwashed mainstream America with their hate talk and divisive wedge-issue politics. Poor white people get misdirected into thinking gay people and out-of-control minorities are the issue when the real facts about the economy and the GOP’s pandering to monied interests are staring them in the face.
“The Republican Party could care less.”
No they care. They just know that anything that has a positive effect on the economy will hurt their election results so they’re in block everything mode.
Yeah, no left leaning bias at this site. What about that $400 billion in stimulus money? Is that just for democratic fat cats to spend closer to the Presidential election in Democratic Party trouble spots? I bet that money will flow like water when the time comes.
I know,I know, money and more of it is always the answer the question, that and more regulation, to any question you throw at a Liberal. (oh, Taxes, don’t forget the taxes).
The party of no delays the party of “yes, you can have all the money china will loan us” in the continued wholesale clearance of our financial future.
#3,
The tax cuts to the rich is new debt, the wars in Irag and Afganistan is new debt, corporate welfare is new debt. Why do you seditious Repugs now start caring about that?
Notice the fair and impartial reporting on this bill.
What are the Reps objections?
If you don’t list them in the article it looks like they are being obstructionists to progress.
The three largest groups that lobby for small business did not back this bill. Why?
There is no free lunch. What kind of restrictions/controls of behavior are the Dems putting on this money.
Maybe His Highness King O has finally gotten a clue to what the problem is and is actually doing something for the public GOOD instead of the special interest and totalitarian world government agenda.
There is no reporting of sides, just statement of opinions based on ideology.
That makes me want to know more before I wade in. But that requires thinking. Why would any American (especially a dem/liberal/progressive) do that?
@#1 No one is brainwashed into what Left wants them to be brainwashed. Friction between majority of population and minorities is intentionally created by Left to split and conquer.
What majority have noticed is that we do not have any more money. And that we are as deep in debt as in WWII. And that no sane person can allow dropping deeper in it.
GOP is weak on this as they push solution “meh” mentions – using existing (borrowed/printed) stimulus money instead of new debt. Though better than borrowing more, this still uses money we do not have.
What should be done? – Liquidate Govt. assets that Govt. has no need having, particularly ones that can bring additional tax income by production: I speak of immense land mass Federal Govt. owns in Western states. Full of mining resources. Sale alone would bring serious dent into the debt. Income from exploiting resources would bring jobs, prosperity and real solution to this crisis – without borrowing or printing a single cent.
That is one of the stupidest things I have ever read.
#8 Totally agree that spending is ridiculous and needs to stop but here’s the core of the real problem with the idea of selling off assets to pay the banks “back.” The Fed is charging interest on monopoly money, It’s not like we’re requesting and receiving gold or any tangible asset they’re just add numbers to the ledger and call that a loan, as such they have no business charging anyone anything for it. But reason this practice must stop though is inflation not debt, the debt is a mirage.
But lets not let the facts get in the way of the oligarchs owning the world.
This is an insignificant story when compared to the abysmal GDP figures released this morning and Obama’s spin of the “Recovery Summer”.
There’s no way to spin a 2.4% GDP rate as a positive step in a recovery.
Worse yet, the pattern has been to revise these numbers downwards when Commerce firms up its data. The next statement of Q2 GDP will come on August 27, just before Congress comes back in session and right at the prime time of summer campaign season, just a week before Labor Day.
If this drops much lower in the next iteration, Democrats will have to explain the failure of their economic program to angry voters across the nation — and they’re not going to want to hear “It’s Bush’s fault!” two years after electing Obama and four years after giving Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid control of Congress.
#9 I have a feeling you read lots of stupid things. Goes with being a leftie along with E-Tard.
The GOP wants the economy to suck for several more months. Otherwise they get killed in November.
As a small biz owner in a small town I can say I do not want loans. I will be stronger in the end if I pay for what I get and not have to work all day to pay for a banker’s new car or fancy new house. When the bastards fall down off there high perch and have to sell all thous fancy things I will have the cash to buy it all LOL.
As someone who has tried to get a small business loan, the problem is that you don’t get them if you are a white male. And if you look into the details as to why the Republicans blocked this legislation, is has to do with this fact.
So actually, the Republicans are fighting racism. And the Democrats are obfuscating the facts.
Olo Baggins said:
The GOP wants the economy to suck for several more months. Otherwise they get killed in November.
There is not much more Obama can do to harm the economy further or increase the double digit unemployment numbers before Nov 2010.
The die has been set.
Any links as to the Repuke objections?
Its too bad NO ONE knows what the best/adequate response to the Trading House Collapse in 2008 would have been. I did think bailing out those who should be allowed the fruits of their labor “fit” with capitalism, but who wants another Great Depression over ideology? I thought maybe letting them all fail but keeping “credit” available by funding the small banks that did direct lending was the way to go. But I am not so ideologically driven to think I “know” how macro economic failure/intervention will play out. Same with any “new” programs now.
Good thing so many experts post here to inform us.
A short template, for this and all other budget-related stories:
1) Democrats announce a new, multi-billion dollar spending plan aimed at ‘helping’ one group or another.
2) Republicans (well, most of them) oppose this plan – generally on the basis of not wanting to raise the deficit more.
3) The ‘main stream media’ – and lefty posters at DU – call the Republicans obstructionists (‘Party of No’), and trot out sob stories of individuals who need the ‘help’ the Democrats’ plan provides.
4) Enough Republicans cave to allow all or part of this program to pass. If this does not occur, repeat #3.
This has been going on for as long as I can remember.
Love the illustration! Speaks volumes.
I feel confident that Pres Obama the great communicator that he is, will effectively show the American sheeple the dirty Republipuke secret of putting their power goals ahead of national priorities.
#18–Lotsa==your insightful review would be so much more valuable if you would tell us why the Republicans continue to obstruct needed spending programs. Simply reciting the facts that everyone knows is not helpful.
“The Republican Party could care less.”
Eideard, you’re an idiot. If you had two neurons that made a single connection, you would write “couldn’t care less”.
Democrats care so much about people that they will gladly spend somebody else’s money.
The the progressive mindset is, “Let’s you and him spend more money on the problem.”
George, you might have a valid point about progressives except for the Republican-led congress while Bush was president.
#21–Georgie==maybe you can tell us what the Repugs have suggested to help main street/the people AFTER getting the super rich big banks bailed out?
Was it their suggested budget for 2009 that showed only goals and not a single number?
Was it fillibustering extension of unemployment?
Was it offering apologies to BP for making them set up a compensation fund?
The Repugs quite simply are the party of/for/and by the SUPER rich and idiots like you, Lotsa, JB and all too many others think you have the same interests of “America” at heart. You simply are fools being taken advantage of. That would be “ok” except you are taking the rest of us down with you.
I’ve got mine, screw you.
Aren’t SBL’s supposed to be paid back? and by providing these funds to local small banks the probability of payback is quite high?
So, this is not a “give away”/stimulus/grant/pork/wastful spending, it is an “investment” in local communities aimed at actually creating jobs.
Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this?
When it comes to funding perpetual war, Republicans almost universally have no problem sinking our country into debt. So don’t tell me that they are fiscally responsible. That just doesn’t fly.
If we are going to borrow money, I’d rather see it spent here at home to shore up our infrastructure, improve our education and health systems, and create local jobs not related to killing others in foreign nation-building adventures. At least the democrats seem to consider these things important. Too bad many of them also are war mongers.
Only FOUR posts so far, Bobbo? What’s wrong? Sick?
I have a close friend who is in charge of SBA lending at a community bank in the Pacific Northwest. She tells me that for the most part the banks don’t care about this $30 billion give away. That is not the reason that small business loans have been slow. They have the capital. The real reasons:
First, a number of businesses are not qualified lenders because the banks realizing what dopes they have been are now requiring that lenders have the ability to pay back loans.
Second, lending requirements have been hiked up by the federal regulators.
Third, although the secondary market for SBA these loans is now available–there are some federal regulations (developed because of the problem with derivatives in the housing mortgage market–even though there was no problem with derivatives and the secondary market with SBA guaranteed loans) which are causing a great deal of difficultly in developing loans the local banks can sell on the secondary market.
Its like so much in the Obama administration–the solution is always pour in federal money, and tighten up regulations so the fat cats can not only not cheat–but can’t make a decent profit.
the gop has never cared about small business of any kind but neither have the banks. when they started to let the large regional banks crowd the smaller hometown banks and then buy them up, small businesses had to resort to programs like sba to make up the difference and for the most part they have… the irony here is that most small business ppl tend to vote gop
#8 Selling off lots of government assets into an economy without much demand is the answer? Not only would the government get the WORST deal right now for its lands, but capital used to purchase those lands would not be usable for investments in other areas.
Instead why doesn’t the government jack up the prices for using it’s land? If cattlemen and mineral extraction companies could buy this land outright they don’t need the hidden stimulus that ultra-low land use fees provide.
Apple Poop==maybe you can help me out? Whats the concern? I initially post on threads I find of interest. Half the time, its an initial posting, the other half its to challenge or question someone’s posting as I am right now to you. If no one responds to my initial post, most often my posting stops. If however someone picks up my own interest or wants to challenge or question me, then the posting continues to conclusion.
So, whats the issue?
The mirror concern of mine is why too many come here, shit their opinion, then leave without having the courtesy or intelligence to back up what they say. Its not even a lack of links, its failure to backup what they say or defend it all. Rather the product of people who can only offer bumper sticker responses without any thinking at all.
Prove me wrong?
and of course no rule is without the exceptions:
Here is a nice little article about how “Deficit Hawks will Kill Us”
http://huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-demands-of-the-defici_b_665076.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=073010&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry
Bias will find itself into any political discussion, but there are “some things” that should be clear? Like “real” economic stimulus to correct a recession is more beneficial to most rather than an austerity program? Don’t confuse the fact that when good times return, its then time to pay off the debt created? And don’t confuse THIS recession with a normal business cycle?
Yes, so many balls up in the air. One should be easy to grab? As the slap chop guy says: “Everybody loves my nuts.”