House To Vote To Extend Bush-Era Tax Cuts For The Lower And Middle Classes Only (Updated)

[bigtree]

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats said on Thursday they would vote to extend Bush-era tax cuts for the lower and middle classes only, setting up a clash with Republicans only two weeks after midterm elections.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said he believes he has President Barack Obama's support in pursuing tax cuts for everyone except the wealthy, after some concern that Obama had been ready to deal with Republicans over cuts for the rich.

"The main thing we've learned is that we're united in recognizing that we have to protect the middle class," Reid told reporters.

Democrats will need to win the support of at least one Republican to reach the 60 vote threshold needed to advance legislation in the 100-seat Senate. That appears unlikely at this point, Democrats have said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40262323/ns/politics-capitol_hill/


more from TPM: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/harry-reid-tries-to-box-gop-in-on-tax-cuts-vote.php

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he's willing to do "whatever it takes" to extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class, up to and including allowing a vote on extending all the cuts, not just those on incomes below $250,000.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill this afternoon after a Democratic caucus meeting that focused on the Bush tax cuts -- which will expire in January unless something is done in the lame duck session -- Reid said that he's willing to allow a vote on Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's plan to extend all the cuts in exchange for many votes on dealing with the upper-income cuts while letting the middle class cuts continue.

Such a bargain would put Republicans in the politically tricky position of having to filibuster middle class tax cuts, or abandon their goal of permanent tax cuts for wealthy Americans.

"We want an opportunity and -- and we mean plural -- to vote once, twice, whatever it takes to show the American people that we support the middle class," Reid said. He said there could be "multiple variations" on how to proceed on the cuts for wealthier Americans.

read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/harry-reid-tries-to-box-gop-in-on-tax-cuts-vote.php


from Plum Line (updated 6:15): http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/happy_hour_roundup_132.html

* This is getting good. Sources tell Glenn Thrush that Nancy Pelosi is telling Obama that Dems must hold the line and only extend the middle class tax cuts:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told President Barack Obama that House Democrats remain firmly committed to allowing Bush-era tax cuts expire for earners making more than $250,000 -- a move that could complicate the administration's efforts to reach a compromise with Republicans.

* And even better, I'm told that Pelosi just had this exchange with a reporter in the Capitol:

REPORTER: "Are you going to have a vote on middle class tax cuts in early December?"

PELOSI: "That is the plan."

We still don't know what the Senate will do, but this is another good sign -- more proof that Pelosi's role will be to continue urging the White House and other Dem leaders to hold the line on core liberal priorities and on issues important to the Dem base. And it comes after Steny Hoyer told Dems today (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/dems_will_vote_on_just_middle.html) that they will get a vote just on extending the middle class ones.

read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/happy_hour_roundup_132.html


related:

Reid Wants Senate Votes on Competing Tax Proposals
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-18/reid-wants-senate-to-vote-on-competing-proposals-to-extend-income-tax-cuts.html

[The Wielding Truth]

1. Huray! Listening and doing the best things for this country and it's citizens!

[pinto]

2. Haven't heard any comments from either of them, but *one* of the Maine Senators seems possible.

Would love to see Reid and the Dems go for it. :thumbsup:

[RKP5637]

3. Good, it's time the majority of the citizens started getting listened too... n/t

[gratuitous]

4. See? That wasn't so hard

The lie that tax cuts for the wealthy will stimulate job growth is so ingrained in our national conversation that I was worried it would prove irresistible to the Democrats. "Oh dear, what ever will the media chuckleheads say? Will they accuse us of waging class warfare? Mercy!"

The wealthy have made out like the bandits they are for the last 10 years. Let's restore just a soupçon of sanity to our system, and ask the winners to contribute a little more of their booty to running the place.

[Ernesto]

8. You got that right!!!! nt

[Donald Ian Rankin]

12. Well, no. That's because it wasn't actually anything at all...

This article is "Democrats announce goal", not "Democrats do something". The Democrats need a Republican vote to get this passed, and the article suggests that getting that *will* be hard.

[bigtree]

13. and the republican alternatives are also not expected to get enough support to pass

. . . setting up some sort of compromise (if the Senate can't overcome the predicted filibuster).

But this is what many critics have been calling for. Get the republicans on record opposing middle-class tax cuts and see where the politics shakes out. This is at least what folks have been pressing Congress to do, and Speaker Pelosi is insisting that it happen.

[gratuitous]

14. But they seem to have figured out the way forward at last

The next step will indeed be to get to a floor vote in the Senate, but if they start the drumbeat now (instead of waiting until the last possible second so that the monkey-wrenching will have the most damaging effect), they can paint this as "Republicans are more beholden to the wealthy than to the middle class." They can also mention that everyone keeps their cut on the first quarter million dollars of annual earnings. It's a pretty easy picture to draw, easy enough that some of the media chuckleheads can understand it.

I was most worried that they'd dither for another couple of weeks, rush something ahead, and then get totally stymied when one of the Republicans (most likely one of the "good" Republicans they were counting on for support) suddenly decided that it was all just too unfair, and won't someone please think of the millionaires? That can surely still happen, but by laying the public relations groundwork now, the Democrats can actually control the process, almost as if they're the majority party.

[subterranean]

5. This is good news, but...

I wish they would stop saying they support tax cuts for "everyone except the wealthy."

They should say they support tax cuts for everyone on their first $250,000 of taxable income.

Even the very wealthiest households will pay lower taxes on their first $250,000.

[DesertFlower]

7. i agree. nt

[budkin]

6. Wow... they grew a spine! I like!

[MissMarple]

9. If it comes to a filibuster will they blink? I say count the votes, but vote regardless.

And they had better figure out the spin on this and get the attack dogs on every media outlet. The Dems have people who can play this and still come out looking good. Turn them loose, promote them.

Should we send Harry a truckload of mattresses? (As in the Godfather, if the reference is too obscure)

[BlueCheese]

10. See how easy that was?

Now if we could have done this, say, four weeks ago...

[bigtree]

11. kick

:kick:

[bigtree]

15. kick