Stymied by Republican roadblocks, the Senate repeatedly was unable to muster the supermajority of 60 votes needed to end Republican filibusters. One bill blocked on Thursday would have shed light on corporate cash influencing American political campaigns.  On Wednesday, the Senate was unable to take up a measure that would have ended the policy against gays serving openly in the armed forces. An immigration measure also was stopped. Even without a vote, tax cuts for the middle class were held hostage by Republicans who have insisted that any bill include more tax giveaways for the rich. There was one bright spot during the week. A Senate-passed bill to help small businesses and create jobs cleared the House and will be signed Monday by President Obama.

Middle-Class Tax Cuts May Have to Wait With one week left before Congress goes home, it appeared unlikely that the Senate would vote on extending tax cuts for the middle class that expire Dec. 31. Republicans have held hostage the middle-class tax cuts as leverage to try to extend tax breaks for the richest 2 percent of Americans.  Sanders said Democrats should move "more aggressively" to extend middle-class tax cuts. "Making sure that we renew tax breaks for the middle class but make sure that at the time of a $13 trillion national debt we do not give tax breaks to the richest people in the country, that's what we've got to do," Sanders told Politico. "I'd do it tomorrow if I had my druthers."

American Jobs Sanders is a lead sponsor of new legislation to cut payroll taxes for businesses that bring jobs back to the United States. The measure scheduled for a Senate vote next week also would end tax breaks for firms that move jobs overseas.  “We have got to stop providing tax breaks to large companies that are throwing American workers out on the street and moving to China and other low-wage countries,” Sanders said.  “If corporate America wants the American people to purchase their products they have got to begin reinvesting in America and start putting our people to work building those products.”  During a news conference Friday with Senate leaders Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sanders noted that nearly 30 percent of American manufacturing jobs disappeared during the eight years of the Bush administration. There are now fewer than 12 million manufacturing jobs in the United States – fewer factory jobs than at any time since the beginning of World War II. To read more, click here.

White House Economics Team The Senate Budget Committee on Thursday recommended confirming Jacob Lew as the president's new budget chief. Sanders voted no after meeting privately in his Senate office with Lew and questioning him at a budget committee hearing. "Frankly, I found too many echoes of the failed policies of the past in his responses to my questions on trade policy, Social Security, deregulation of banks and other issues. "  If confirmed by the full Senate, Lew would fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Peter Orszag.  Meanwhile, the White House announced on Tuesday that Lawrence Summers is leaving his post as the president's top adviser on the economy to return to Harvard University at the end of the year. To watch Sanders question Jacob Lew, click here. To read about his problems with Lew in The Huffington Post, click here.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell In an unprecedented act, Senate Republicans voted not to allow the Defense Department authorization bill to be brought up for debate. While a number of reasons were given, the clear goal was to stop the Senate from ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.  Sen. Bernie Sanders voted to stop the filibuster.  He also would have voted to end the 16-year-old policy that has cost 13,000 gay service members their military careers.

Dream Deferred The obstruction tactics also kept the Senate from debating legislation known as the Dream Act, which would give legal residency to immigrants who arrived in the United States before age 16 and resided here for at least five years, earned a high school degree and completed two years of college or military service.

Corporate Campaign Cash Stays Hidden The Senate on Thursday once again rejected an attempt to call up a campaign finance disclosure bill. The 59-to-39 vote saw Republicans vote in lockstep against even debating the measure proposed after a controversial Supreme Court ruling that said gave corporations have the same free-speech rights as individuals and may spend their own funds to influence voters.

Small-Business Bill Passes The House on Thursday approved a Senate-passed bill to help small businesses.  The legislation would create a $30 billion loan fund for small businesses and provide other tax incentives to encourage hiring and stimulate growth.  President Obama said in a statement that he would sign the small-business bill on Monday, calling it "a common-sense plan to put Americans back to work."