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The Lame Duck Congress must prove it's not lame
It's a waste of time to compromise with Republicans. The Lame Duck Congress must prove it's not lame. The House must pass the repeal of the Bush Tax Cuts for the top two percent and the Senate should use reconciliation to avoid a filibuster. The Bush Tax Cuts were originally passed via reconciliation.
The savings from the cuts' repeal could then be used as pay-go for extending unemployment benefits. I don't know if the unemployment benefit extension is deem and pass eligible, but linking them to the repeal may mean reconciliation is a legal tactic.
I hear little talk in the liberal media and blogosphere and zero from the Obama administration and elected officials, about using reconciliation to permit the upper income cuts' expiration.
The cuts will be extended if deem and pass isn't employed. The Republicans will definitely filibuster any legislation that doesn't extend the cuts, if not make them permanent and the Democrats will cave in the game of chicken over the extensions of the middle class tax cuts. The President's "I didn't reach across the aisle enough" comment foreshadows Democratic wimpdom on the cuts.
The extension vote may happen as soon as Thursday, so we must immediately contact each Democratic Senator and insist they support reconciliation to repeal the cuts.
Re: The Lame Duck Congress must prove it's not lame
Roy, it is a waste of time to try and compromise with Republicans and I am so fed up with President Obama for still thinking that can be done that I'd love to see someone primary him. What happened to him and his spine? The Democratic Senators that we have with some exceptions are no better. Reid has NEVER put his foot down to several Dems who have balked on bills like health care and although I'm glad that he's been re-elected I wish that we had someone else as Majority Leader.
Reconciliation is the way to go but you think they have the guts to go that route? I doubt it. Why they keep giving in to the Republicans is beyond me. I am fed up that they don't stand up to them. The only one that seems to have a backbone is Nancy Pelosi. I understand why she had the unemployment extension voted on requiring a 2/3rds majority to show the voters where the Republicans stood on the issue. What I don't understand is why they're not using the fact that from that 700 billion we'll save over 10 years by not giving the top 2% their tax reduction we'll be able tomore than pay for the extension of benefits for the unemployed. Bring that fact out. The Republicans want filibuster on everything, well call their bluff and get those cots out right now.
Re: The Lame Duck Congress must prove it's not lame
Thank you Majority Leader Pelosi and the Dems (and a few Republicans) that voted for this. Now to the Senate where it will probably fall into the garbage.
Oh, Boehner called this "Chicken Crap" but the Chicken Crap is him and the Republican Party. Anyone see the Daily News headline today? Take a look.