The House approved a $15 billion jobs package this afternoon, the central plank of which is a payroll tax credit for employers that hire workers who have been jobless for at least two months. It will also expand bonds that help states and local governments pay for public works projects. Every member of the Republican delegation in Illinois voted against the law, including U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk.

The Illinois members of the Congressional Black Caucus -- Reps. Bobby Rush, Danny Davis, and Jesse Jackson Jr. -- also opposed the bill, arguing the it was too modest in scope.