The $15 billion jobs bill that was kept alive on Monday by five republicans who crossed the aisle to support cloture, including newly elected Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.), passed in the Senate on Wednesday.
Brown and four other Republicans joined 57 Democrats in voting to block a GOP-led filibuster of the jobs bill, which was championed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
"I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families," said Brown, who represents the 41st Republican vote in the Senate.
"This jobs bill is not perfect … but I voted for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work," he added.
Brown also noted that he wished the tax cuts for businesses outlined in the bill were deeper and more expansive.
If passed, the bill will exempt businesses from Social Security payroll taxes if they hire the unemployed as well as give them another $1,000 tax credit if new workers remain on the job for a full year, according to Fox News.
