Kirk: Obama’s Jobs Bill all borrowing, spending and taxes

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Updated: November 16, 2011 1:50PM

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said Tuesday he was voting against President Barack Obama’s Jobs Bill because he thinks his constituents are already overtaxed.

Kirk called the bill “a massive borrowing and spending program with more taxes.”

Obama and his supporters credited the Stimulus Plan started under President Bush and increased under Obama with averting in even-worse recession. But Kirk said it just increased American debt, especially to China.

“Should we pass a ‘Stimulus 2’ if ‘Stimulus 1’ didn’t work?” Kirk said at a news conference Tuesday. “Right now it’s clear the economic policy of the United States is not working.”

Kirk said he’d be happy to take the tax-cut parts of Obama’s plan.

“We need to work out a bi-partisan policy with the House of Representatives to take the parts of the president’s proposal that have support and move them quickly,” Kirk said. “The President’s ideas on payroll taxes are good ones. Frankly he’s probably more angry at his fellow Democrats. The bi-partisan vote is going to be on the other side.”

— Abdon M. Pallasch