House Democrats reject tax plan unless changed

[Peter Pan]

House Democrats reject tax plan unless changed

By CHARLES BABINGTON and STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Charles Babington And Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press – 12 mins ago
WASHINGTON – House Democrats voted Thursday to reject President Barack Obama's tax deal with Republicans in its current form, but it was unclear how significantly the package might need to be changed.

By voice vote in a closed caucus meeting, Democrats passed a resolution saying the tax package should not come to the House floor for consideration as written, even though no formal House bill has been drafted. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., introduced the resolution.

Said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas: "If it's take it or leave it, we'll leave it."

The vote will at least temporarily stall what had seemed to be a grudging Democratic movement toward the tax package.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that House Democrats share Obama's "commitment to providing the middle class with a tax cut to grow the economy and create jobs." She noted that a House-passed bill, which Republicans blocked in the Senate, did not include "a bonus tax cut to millionaires and billionaires."

"We will continue discussions with the president and our Democratic and Republican colleagues in the days ahead to improve the proposal before it comes to the House floor for a vote," the California Democrat said.

The voice vote in the caucus was quite lopsided. Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada told reporters afterward that "one person voted against it. That would be me."

Asked what happens next, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 person in the Democratic leadership, said, "I don't know."

Speaking earlier Thursday at a White House event promoting American exports, Obama said the vote will determine whether the economy "moves forward or backward."

The president again pressed Congress to pass the agreement, saying it has the potential to create millions of jobs. He said if it fails, Americans would see smaller paychecks and fewer jobs.

But Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said "the jury is still out" on the measure's enactment because many Democrats are furious over an estate tax provision.

Obama agreed to exempt the first $5 million of a deceased person's estate, and to tax the rest at 35 percent. Congressional Democrats had expected a 45 percent tax rate on anything above $3.5 million. Without congressional action, the estate tax will revert to an even higher rate: 55 percent on estates valued above $1 million. That should have strengthened Obama's hand when negotiating with Republicans, Van Hollen said.

Some Democrats have reluctantly embraced the tax package, which would let rich and poor Americans keep Bush-era tax cuts that were scheduled to expire this month. Even so, 54 House Democrats wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying they're opposing the deal.

Led by Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont, they said they were against "acceding to Republican demands to extend the Bush tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires."

"We're paying a king's ransom," Welch said in an interview. "We didn't need to and couldn't afford to."

The 54 Democrats, by themselves, would not be enough to block the package in the House, depending on how much support it gets from Republicans.

After Obama publicly defended the plan for a third day Wednesday, and Vice President Joe Biden met with Democratic lawmakers in the Capitol for a second day, several Democrats predicted the measure will pass, mainly because of extensive Republican support.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., predicted the tax cut compromise "will be passed by virtually all the Republicans and a minority of Democrats." He said he would vote against it.

Obama said more congressional Democrats would climb aboard as they studied details of the $900 billion year-end measure.

Raising the direst alarm yet, his administration warned fellow Democrats on Wednesday that if they defeat the plan, they could jolt the nation back into recession.

Larry Summers, Obama's chief economic adviser, told reporters that if the measure isn't passed soon, it will "materially increase the risk the economy would stall out and we would have a double-dip" recession. That put the White House in the unusual position of warning its own party's lawmakers they could be to blame for calamitous consequences if they go against the president.

With many House and Senate Republicans signaling their approval of the tax cut plan, the White House's comments were aimed mainly at House Democrats who feel Obama went too far in yielding to Republicans' demands for continued income tax cuts and lower estate taxes for the wealthy.

Obama says the compromise was necessary because Republicans were prepared to let everyone's taxes rise and to block the extension of unemployment benefits for jobless Americans if they didn't get much of what they wanted.

Economists say the recent recession officially ended in June 2009. But with unemployment at 9.8 percent, millions remain out of work or fearful of losing ground economically, and the notion of the nation falling back into a recession would strike many as chilling. It also could rattle markets and investors.

The deal Obama crafted with Senate Republican leaders would prevent the scheduled Dec. 31 expiration of all the Bush administration's tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003, even though Obama had often promised to end the cuts for the highest earners.

House Democrats, who will lose their majority in January, still hold a 255-179 edge in the current Congress. To pass a big bill with mostly Republican votes would mark a dramatic departure from recent battles, such as the health care overhaul, which was enacted with virtually no GOP support in either chamber.

Passage of Obama's plan seems more assured in the Senate, where numerous Democrats have agreed that the president had little choice in making the compromises with Republicans. Still, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he and colleagues are considering possible changes, and action could come within days


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tax_cu...91c2VkZW1vY3Jh

After all this is the last hurrah for the house, stick to your guns like they have for the last 2 years, I hope this does not go through, then next year we can get the roll back to the current law for good not just 2 years, double dip is the latest out of the White House


BTW I am Taxed Enough Already and yes my taxes will go up as will those that do not pay taxes if there is no agreement, I hope there is none as the one on the table is another stimilus in hiding

[Z06PDQ]

[ChasC5]

Looks like a is coming

[Exotix]

Just think if the Bush neocons kept a vigil on their own ...




President Bush signs his $1.35 trillion tax cut on June 7, 2001, at the White House.

[Peter Pan]

This would be the largest tax increase in U.S. History and will hit everyone, not just the wealthy 2%, yes the Bush tax cut was for everyone, I know my kid who makes 30k and gets a rebate on his taxes can see this go up in smoke, that is good, all Americans need to pay some in Federal Taxes, we are running out of my money to pay for the handouts.

Yes I am Taxed Enough Already and time for a flat tax so all will pay some based on income, get the loop holes terminated, not going to happen and this is to bad

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by Exotix

Just think if the Bush neocons kept a vigil on their own ...




President Bush signs his $1.35 trillion tax cut on June 7, 2001, at the White House.

Don't forget the one in 2003 ... also ...

Who cares, he's be gone when the bill comes due ... Look at all those smiling faces.

Funny, I don't see the Democrats ... but yet it's their fault.

[Exotix]

Originally Posted by Peter Pan

This would be the largest tax increase in U.S. History and will hit everyone, not just the wealthy 2%, yes the Bush tax cut was for everyone, I know my kid who makes 30k and gets a rebate on his taxes can see this go up in smoke, that is good, all Americans need to pay some in Federal Taxes, we are running out of my money to pay for the handouts.

Yes I am Taxed Enough Already and time for a flat tax so all will pay some based on income, get the loop holes terminated, not going to happen and this is to bad

You know what Bush and the neocons' logic was for his *impending doom* tax cut ...

Go back to Bushs' 2000 RNC speech where he said he was going to *undo everything Clinton did* and after he was elected he stated ... *when you have a surplus you lower taxes* ...

Nice goin' Molokai ... (Molokai the runt in High Plains Drifter)

[Peter Pan]

Originally Posted by Exotix

You know what Bush and the neocons' logic was for his *impending doom* tax cut ...

Go back to Bushs' 2000 RNC speech where he said he was going to *undo everything Clinton did* and after he was elected he stated ... *when you have a surplus you lower taxes* ...

Nice goin' Molokai ... (Molokai the runt in High Plains Drifter)

It was a great idea and still is, the problem is the uncontrolled spending of the Federal Govt and this is both parties, especially true in the last 4 years when libs controlled all of congress and the last 2 when they controlled everything, never before has the defictis been larger than 500 billion, only when libs were in control. Stop spending more than the current taxes, I want to spend my money I earn, not you, not another American or those not here legal unless I choose to.

I am Taxed Enough Already

[leec4ce]

Originally Posted by ChasC5

Don't forget the one in 2003 ... also ...

Who cares, he's be gone when the bill comes due ... Look at all those smiling faces.

Funny, I don't see the Democrats ... but yet it's their fault.

From the Congressional record
Passed 58 to 33, the 2001 the tax cuts received the support of a dozen Senate Democrats, while Republicans Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island opposed them.

[Peter Pan]

Originally Posted by leec4ce

From the Congressional record
Passed 58 to 33, the 2001 the tax cuts received the support of a dozen Senate Democrats, while Republicans Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island opposed them.

Thank you for the research, this has plenty of lib support and shows not all reps were on board

[Exotix]

Originally Posted by Peter Pan

It was a great idea and still is, the problem is the uncontrolled spending of the Federal Govt and this is both parties, especially true in the last 4 years when libs controlled all of congress and the last 2 when they controlled everything, never before has the defictis been larger than 500 billion, only when libs were in control. Stop spending more than the current taxes, I want to spend my money I earn, not you, not another American or those not here legal unless I choose to.

I am Taxed Enough Already

I like the part where you left out the first 4 years of the Bush administration ... a $300 check in the mail for everyone and the creation of 1,000,000 Taco Bell jobs for illegals with all other sectors remaining flat ... and don't forget 9/11 2 months after his breath-taking Bush Tax Cut legacy (during his magical mystery Decision Points of a village idiot book tour he objected to them being called *Bush Tax Cuts*) .. followed by the Iraq & Afghanistan *Privatized Wars* charged to your taxes, Katrina, Oil Crisis, 8% unemployment culminating in the 2nd Great Depression ...

I know I know ... it goes through one ear and out the the other as to how you're taxed enough already ... (the (R)'s set a U.S. record for filibusters during the Bush Admin. .... 122 in 18 months ... when (D)'s tried to reverse the impending neocon holocaust)

[Z06PDQ]

Originally Posted by ChasC5

Don't forget the one in 2003 ... also ...

Who cares, he's be gone when the bill comes due ... Look at all those smiling faces.

Funny, I don't see the Democrats ... but yet it's their fault.

that evil Pelosi had more power than W??.......doesn't say much for for their little cowboy does it?
Bring back the Eisenhower Tax Rates

[Joecooool]

The chickensh1ts will cave. If there were any adults in the house they would be making the right decision and raising taxes instead of the popular decision and driving our nation further into debt.

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by Joecooool

The chickensh1ts will cave. If there were any adults in the house they would be making the right decision and raising taxes instead of the popular decision and driving our nation further into debt.

Exactly ...

[Joecooool]

Originally Posted by TxAg

So explain why the Democrats in the House and Senate don't ram through another crap bill like the did Healthcare?

What part of me calling them chicken****s did you miss?

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by Joecooool

What part of me calling them chicken****s did you miss?

Our President can’t seem to understand, that the GOP has no interest in helping all Americans. They made is clear long ago, not all American are their type of Americans. Their main goal it to get back into the White House by any means necessary, and take everything back to a more comfortable and secure time for them. Obama is way too pragmatic and is blinded by doing what he thinks is the right thing.

He has to realize, he needs to take the lead, do what he said he was going to do, and screw the GOP and History Books. Stop worrying about a second term, it doesn’t matter if you’re a one or two term POTUS; once you’ve been there, you’ve been there and that’s something that can never be taken away. Do what needs to be done.

[Peter Pan]

Originally Posted by TxAg

So explain why the Democrats in the House and Senate don't ram through another crap bill like the did Healthcare?

Because there are a few libs that realize that raising taxes is a bad thing and a jobs killer, even if they like to spend more than we can afford

[Joecooool]

Originally Posted by TxAg

So your reasoning is they are chicken on this but had the "brass balls" when it came to health care.

So they care more about taxing working folks more to give "everyone" crap healthcare than they do about giving working families a tax break.

Gotcha.

If by "working folks" you mean those of us making more than $250K a year, then yes.

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by Joecooool

If by "working folks" you mean those of us making more than $250K a year, then yes.

Can't wait for his answer.

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by TxAg

Got news for ya chief, if Bush tax cuts (anti-Clinton tax increases) aren't extended, it's going to be a tax increase for all those "hard working folks" you liberals like to pay lip service.

So you agree, the Democrats "care more about taxing working folks more to give "everyone" crap healthcare than they do about giving working families a tax break. "

Thanks for hating the non-rich.

You're clueless