Senate votes to provide jobs for vets, House twiddles thumbs

Senate Democrats keep eyes on jobs. In the very short time Congress has decided to spend at work before taking off for heavy-duty campaigning, they'll be working to get veterans on their side, but in vastly different ways, of course.

The Senate voted on Tuesday to advance a veterans jobs bill, 95-1 (the single no vote was Rand Paul). The legislation is based on President Barack Obama's proposal to establish a job corps for veterans, that would provide $1 billion over five years to hire veterans as police officers, firefighters, and to restore and protect public lands.

Meanwhile, House Republicans "plan a series of hearings reviewing the Veterans Affairs Department's performance on key issues." Jobs in the Democratic Senate versus Obama administration bashing in the Republican House. Yeah, that wasn't at all predictable. About that jobs bill the Senate just agreed to move forward:

The legislation borrows from the concept of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which put nearly 3 million people to work during the Great Depression planting trees and building roads and parks.

The unemployment rate for veterans had been dropping gradually when it hit a bump in the latest jobs report, which showed the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan vets at 10.9 percent. That was nearly 2 percentage points higher from the previous month. Economists warn not to put too much stock into one month's report. [...]

"The heroes who fought for their country overseas shouldn't have to fight for a job once they get home," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Monday.

The bill is, of course, paid for since that's the new rule for Congress for everything but tax cuts. It requires the IRS to go after tax delinquents to cover the funds. Senate Republicans, except for Rand Paul, chose not to be embarrassed by voting against cloture for this bill.

But Senate Republicans don't need to worry about the bill actually advancing. The House, which intends to be out of town by the end of next week, is very unlikely to bother with taking it up.