Posted on 12/13/2010 2:43:09 PM PST by Qbert
A top House Democrat said Monday there's room to revise the contentious tax-cut package hammered out between the White House and Senate Republicans.
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) predicted the House would ultimately pass a tax-cut bill this month, but not before Democratic critics have had a chance to amend certain language — particularly a 35 percent estate tax provision that exempts the first $5 million of estates.
"There certainly seems to me to be some room for a change which may or may not be perceived by some to be significant," Hoyer told reporters at the National Press Club.
House Democrats prefer a 45 percent tax exempting the first $3.5 million of inherited estates.
The Senate has scheduled a cloture vote Monday on the tax-cut compromise, which also temporarily extends all the Bush-era tax cuts and unemployment benefits. The proposal is expected to pass the upper chamber Tuesday or Wednesday, leaving the House to consider it later in the week.
On Sunday, senior White House adviser David Axelrod said the administration doesn't expect the House to make significant changes to the controversial package.
"We have a framework, we have an agreement, and I don't anticipate that it's going to change greatly," he told ABC's "This Week."
The comment is a concession that Senate Republicans likely won't accept major deviations from the existing deal.
Hoyer said Monday the fight could come down to one of semantics.
"The issue there is, 'What is significant?' " Hoyer said.
Members of both the Rules and Ways and Means panels will take a look at the Senate bill when it comes over to the House, Hoyer said, predicting that something will pass before year’s end.
"I think we're going to have a vote on the Senate bill, with possible changes," Hoyer said. "We may have it with amendments, we'll see what the process is. … I think we will pass a bill."
Hoyer said leaders in both the House and Senate are still shooting to adjourn for the year by Dec. 18. With a number of items left to be done, however, there's also a good possibility the calendar will extend into next week.
-Meanwhile, over on the Republican side, top House "leaders" said absolutely nothing in response...
This is all just a charade. At the end of the day, what you see now will be the best that will happen. It is going to change for the worse but it will pass anyway.
The next two years are going to suck, aren't they?
They are fighting over stealing more of our money. Despicable!
They will be pretty bad but worse for those who felt their vote meant something in November. Opium for the democracy, the vote that is.
I getting sick of this crap and I know I’m not alone .We should do to the Rats what they did in France during their Revolution.
I blame the Republicans. Seriously. Even though they know we rejected this Congress in the last election and more conservative are on the way, these Republican quislings are already compromising, aka surrendering on key points. Restoring the tax cuts a few months later than expected won’t destroy the USA, but a lack of political will to cut spending might. CUT SPENDING! REDUCE GOVERNMENT!
At age 52 I guess I'm finally starting to believe this. :0/
C’mon ya stupid bahstuhds!
You won and there isn’t a thing the other side can do about it.
You will stand up to them and you will vote “our” conscience.
We are watching and so far our hopes for your representing our interests seem to like skating the edges of thin ice.
Get with it or you are out in the next election.
“This is all just a charade. At the end of the day, what you see now will be the best that will happen. It is going to change for the worse but it will pass anyway.”
-Unfortunately, probably true.
The Dems are now turning to the “semantics” battle, which is kryptonite to inarticulate Repubs (at least those not named Palin, Christie, etc.).
Game over.
I notice there is no one talking about the earned income credit which is a rip off, or making all or part of the 49% that don't pay taxes pay. Sorry to say but all of our contributions, work and effort may well have been for nothing.
Call their bluff, House Republicans. They won’t be able to pass it with changes without you. Failure to get it done by 12/31 will be a huge failure for 0bama and should doom his 2012 campaign.
“I blame the Republicans. Seriously. Even though they know we rejected this Congress in the last election and more conservative are on the way, these Republican quislings are already compromising, aka surrendering on key points. Restoring the tax cuts a few months later than expected won’t destroy the USA, but a lack of political will to cut spending might. CUT SPENDING! REDUCE GOVERNMENT!”
-I really hate to admit this about what you’re saying, but you’re spot on.
This is an absolute disgrace.
You won and there isn’t a thing the other side can do about it.
The dems still own the house, senate and white house.
If they want, they can continue unemployment, let all the tax cuts expire and then blame the republicans. They can also bring dadt and the dream act up for votes and get it on a party line vote.
And the media will dutifully comply and tell us it the best thing that ever happened.
Be grateful our taxes are not going up. We will fix everything else in January,
“I notice there is no one talking about the earned income credit which is a rip off, or making all or part of the 49% that don’t pay taxes pay.”
-You think that’s bad- check this out: according to the GAO, as many as one-third of all EITC payments are improperly made (often because of fraud, and many times paid to illegal immigrants)...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2639501/posts
But not a word from GOP leaders about addressing this in the tax “deal”, of course.
I’m pretty sure they don’t have enough senators to beat a filibuster on a straight, party line vote. Of course, that’s usually no problem for the Democrats. There’s always a RINO willing to compromise, aka give the left what it wants.
I don’t understand these people. Why do they want a huge tax on estates? The only reason I can think of is:
1) Envy on the part of liberal voters.
2) Pleasing voters on the part of liberal politicians
3) Just another step in taking total control of the public
More reason to build the Tea Party. The Republican Party does not know how to fight.
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