As a new Associated Press poll gave the Congress a 16% approval rating - and a disapproval rating of 82% - the Senate late Thursday night left town again in gridlock on jobs legislation from both parties.
The Senate first failed to move ahead on one piece of President Obama's jobs bill, deadlocking 50-50, as Democrats needed 60 votes to start debate on $35 billion to help states hire teachers and first responders.
Two Democrats, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Ben Nelson of Nebraska joined with Independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut to deny the White House even a simple majority on the slimmed down bill.
As with the larger version of the President's jobs bill, several Democrats voted to move ahead with the measure even though they said they opposed the plan as currently written.
A few minutes later, Senators then refused to move ahead on a separate GOP plan that would have ended a 3% withholding on payments to federal contractors.
That plan was originally approved in the Bush Administration to improve tax compliance, but opponents say it would wrongly restrict cash flow to businesses during tough economic times.
The vote on the one part of the President's jobs bill came a day after Mr. Obama wrapped up a three day bus tour in North Carolina and Virginia, where he repeatedly called on the Congress to act on his jobs plan, piece by piece.
"We’re going to give them another chance to listen to you, to step up to the plate, to do the right thing," the President told a crowd on Wednesday. "We will give them another chance to do their jobs so that you can keep your job or get a job."
And last night, he again demanded action.
"For the second time in two weeks, every single Republican in the United States Senate has chosen to obstruct a bill that would create jobs and get our economy going again. That’s unacceptable," the President said in a written statement.
But Republicans said the latest bid by the White House on jobs was all about politics and positioning for next year's elections - not a real attempt at compromise.
"I support a real jobs plan," said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). "I don’t think what we voted on today is a real jobs plan. I think it’s another bailout of local governments."
And for now, Republicans have more than enough votes to block what the Obama White House wants to do on jobs legislation.
