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House approves $15 billion jobs bill

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Democrats’ jobs agenda is moving again after stalling briefly, as the House passed one measure designed to boost employment Thursday and the Senate pressed forward on another.

The House voted Thursday afternoon, 217-201, to approve a $15 billion jobs measure whose centerpiece is a Social Security tax break for companies hiring new employees. Six Republicans joined the vast majority of Democrats to approve the bill, which also includes a one-year reauthorization of the law governing federal highway funding, as well as an expansion of the Build America Bonds program and a provision allowing companies to write off equipment purchases as a business expense.

More than 30 Democrats voted against the measure, as liberals complained that it was too small and too focused on tax cuts rather than spending.

Full story: House approves $15B jobs measure; Senate moves forward – Washington Post