Posted on 12/12/2007 8:50:16 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Congress has been brought to a grinding halt by hardening Democratic and Republican stances on taxes and spending just days before lawmakers begin leaving Washington for Christmas and New Year’s.
The two sides are, in some cases, refusing even to speak to each other about the massive omnibus and an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) bill.
Senate Republicans refused to meet Democrats Tuesday on spending and House Democrats rejected the Senate’s AMT “patch,” preparing a new version paid for with corporate tax increases.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) countered the majority’s plans with a proposal that would require Democrats to accept virtually all of President Bush’s demands on spending.
McConnell demanded that Democrats also provide $70 billion for the war with no strings attached.
Frustration boiled over in the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Bush “is impossible — and has been for seven years — to deal with.”
Reid sought to portray senior White House adviser Ed Gillespie as an incarnation of Karl Rove and a mastermind of intransigence.
The majority leader disdained McConnell’s proposal, noting that an earlier Republican effort to increase war funding without restrictions failed to pass. Reid was not ready to accept an across-the-board funding cut to pare the omnibus to Bush’s ceiling.
Senate Republicans rejected in advance a proposal from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) to raise taxes to pay the $50 billion cost of the AMT patch. Rangel sought a higher tax rate on offshore deferred compensation. The Senate rejected a Rangel plan this year that paid for the patch by raising taxes on private equity and hedge funds.
When asked if Senate Republicans could accept AMT relief accompanied by tax increases, Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), the Republican whip-elect, replied simply: “No.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said there was “zero” chance of the Senate passing an AMT bill that included tax increases.
Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), a Democratic member of the Finance Committee, said it would be difficult to pass a package with tax increases. The patch would temporarily protect 23 million American taxpayers from becoming subject to the AMT.
House Democrats are firm in demanding new taxes to pay for the $50 billion cost of AMT relief. Two leading liberal lawmakers circulated a letter among colleagues seeking to pressure Democratic leaders.
“As progressive members of the Democratic Caucus, we wish to make clear our concern with any AMT patch that does not adhere to the House PAYGO rules,” wrote Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), a member of Ways and Means, and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.). “We believe House Democrats must remain united on this principle.”
Mobilization by liberals reinforces a coalition of House Democrats from across the political spectrum pressing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to stand firm.
More than 30 conservative Blue Dog Democrats signed a letter to Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) urging them to pay for tax relief.
“Under no circumstance will we vote for any piece of legislation that does not meet the requirements of PAYGO, nor will we vote to waive the PAYGO rules to allow for such legislation,” they wrote, referring to budget rules that require the cost of bills be offset with tax increases or spending cuts.
Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the New Democrat Coalition, also demands an AMT bill that conforms with budget rules. “I want AMT paid for. I think the entire Democratic Caucus wants the AMT paid for. I am very resolved to that.
“I’m very mindful of the number of constituents damaged if we don’t get this fixed … [people] also want [tax relief] paid for because they are deeply concerned about the way the Republicans ran the Congress.”
Federal debt has soared during the Bush presidency. Republicans say deficit spending was needed after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the ensuing recession.
Tauscher said Senate Republicans need to recognize that a new party controls Congress, and compromise.
“I would remind them we took the majority and decided we were not going to run the government as they did, as profligate spenders,” she said. “They need to be cooperative.”
Democratic House leaders, including Pelosi, Hoyer and Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), met Tuesday to discuss strategy. Pelosi also met Reid to discuss spending and taxes.
But they do not appear to have decided how to break the impasse.
Obey has proposed reducing the cost of the omnibus to Bush’s proposal and cutting all lawmakers’ earmarks to spare a variety of programs from cuts. He hopes rank-and-file Republicans will press their leaders to accept higher domestic spending to save projects slated for their districts, said a Democratic aide.
Reid was not embracing that idea when asked about it Tuesday.
The Dem clowns need to fund our troops. Now. And with no strings.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
Good man doing a fine job, got the dRATs squealing, Dingy Harry starting to become unglued.
Will Dingy keep someone around to stop recess appointments again ?
Unless they correct the AMT problem, they’ll be taking more of your tax dollars than you would expect. The AMT is making about a $5,000 difference in my projected tax bill.
Somebody TAKE AWAY THEIR CHECKBOOKS!
Simple solution: Strip out every earmark unrelated to the original bill from all appropriations bills. That will more than pay for the AMT relief.
Glad to see Mitch grow a pair. He was hiding in the cloak room during the amnesty debate.
Hopefully even if Dingy leaves someone around during “recess” there is a procedure, like a quorum call, which would allow for a finding that they are indeed in recess. Then we can hope that Dubya will appoint some people.
He passed up a chance to pardon Scooter and Ramos and Compeon. Maybe he never will. Gotta protect that legacy, ya know
It's a sad state of affairs when you can't plan your household budget without having to account for the whims of politicians.
Does this imply the Bush can make recess appointments during the vacation...or is Dingy Harry going to stay open for business?
Pelosi (D-Calif.) spent a little more than $3 million in the first nine months of 2007, records show, compared to the $1.8 million Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) spent during the same period in 2006.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has spent $16,000 on flowers since taking office, one reason why she spent 63 percent more in her high-profile inaugural year than her low-key predecessor did last year.
The Democrat majority passed the AMT in the ‘70s as part of their usual class warfare agenda. Now let them live with the consequences of their idiotic failure to index it for inflation.
If the Republicans have any brains and political savvy whatsoever, they will beat the Dems over the head with the results of this Democrat tax on the middle class taxpayer. Twenty-three million taxpayers will be really angry when they have to file their AMT this year because they have a combined household income of $100,000. I truly hope the Republicans don’t bail out Rangel and the rest of the Dems who voted for this confiscatory tax.
The more politics changes, the more it stays the same.
Hay, Dumbs all you have to do is eat the port and cut spending and there you have it as simple as can be. Amen.
I read that Webb - the Allen wannabe - spends a few minutes each day opening an empty Senate and then closing it. I don;t know if he takes out the trash though.
Perhaps the Dumbs would eat the port. I would much prefer to drink it......with a small wheel of stilton.
It sounds like the rats are intent on raising taxes for the purpose of providing more welfare for their constituents (society’s parasites) while the Republicans are resolute on demanding that their constituents (society’s producers) get to keep their own money.
Hmmm. I’ll go with the Republicans.
Gridlock away, Congress. Sounds good to me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.