GOP Senators Say Deal Likely on Extending Tax cuts & Jobless Benefits – But That is All in Lameduck Session
"Top senators from both parties indicated Sunday that a deal was likely soon on temporarily extending Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans, along with unemployment benefits that have expired.
However, Republican senators made clear they are unlikely to budge in their opposition to other Democratic priorities in the final weeks of the lame-duck session of Congress that ends in early January.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told the NBC program "Face the Nation" he was "optimistic" about an agreement on the tax rates and jobless benefits, but added there likely wasn’t time for the Senate to ratify a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia or complete work on a major defense bill that includes repeal of the "don’t ask, don’ tell" policy banning openly gay and lesbian soldiers."
I would say that is about right, depending if the far-left Pelosi led House member wish to make a deal. They may decide to block a deal and let the American people suffer under the uncertainty of higher tax rates beginning Jnauary 1.
The GOP will NOT proceed to START, DADT or the DREAM Act before the new Congress and why should they?
Also, Harry Reid’s cynical attempt to ram through online poker legislation for his friends in the Nevada casino industry will also fail.
One Comment
Name: Mark
Would Harry Truman have done this? I understand that there always, in the end, has to be a compromise, and that liberals are never, ever going to get all that they want. That’s the nature of politics. The problem is that Obama is not pulling out all the stops to get the most progressive final deal possible. He’s not out there on the stump giving the Republicans heat for their unpopular positions. I think that both Carter and Clinton, moderates though they were on domestic policy, would have fought harder for, and achieved, a more progressive final settlement had they been faced with a situation like this.