Republicans' drive to cut taxes flags

[deadparrot]

The problems Republicans are having passing a relatively small set of tax cuts this year point to bigger trouble for President Bush: His tax-cutting agenda is in jeopardy, lawmakers and lobbyists say, dimming prospects for extending the big tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003.

Republicans say rising federal budget deficits and the costs of Iraq, Afghanistan and Hurricane Katrina make it harder to argue for tax cuts. Though this year's package probably will pass, Bush's signature domestic policy goal faces hard times ahead.

"As deficits increase, it puts more pressure on most members to question how much further we go in terms of cutting taxes," says Rep. Jim McCrery (news, bio, voting record), R-La., a leading candidate to become the next chairman of the House's tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. "We are going to have to ... get spending much better under control before we can continue to cut taxes to the extent that many would like to."

Faced with elections in November, Republicans are wary of cutting spending. The Senate's 2007 budget does not include most of Bush's big entitlement cuts, led by Medicare. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H., said he lacked the votes for the cuts. Without offsetting spending cuts, Gregg also made no provision for a new round of tax cuts this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/republicansdrivetocuttaxesflags

[shoelace414]

1. Reagan cut taxes, then every year after that he raised taxes

[RobertSeattle]

2. If you include the Social Security hike - Reagan - Great Tax Hike Ever

[shoelace414]

3. the current administration has not CUT any taxes

they have only SHIFTED taxes. there has been no CUT in taxes.

[RobertSeattle]

5. I agree

Tax cuts, during times of DEFICITS, are not tax cuts at all, they are merely tax shifts from the current generation to the next, because the deficits have to be paid for by someone.

[fasttense]

4. Haven't the rich got enough of our money yet? n/t

[central scrutinizer]

6. doublespeak

Bush's signature domestic policy goal faces hard times ahead.

His goal is to have NO domestic policy - let the poor fend for themselves, we can't be bothered.