Breaking…House leaders pull tax cut bill from the floor
Posted: December 16, 2010 Filed under: Democratic Politics, U.S. Politics | Tags: Bush tax cuts, frustrated Democrats, House leadership 19 CommentsAs the debate over how the tax cut bill will be brought to the floor and voted on was wrapping up, House Democratic leaders abruptly PULLED the “rule” from the floor because they don’t know if they have enough votes to even bring the tax bill to the floor, according to a senior Democratic leadership aide.
Before the debate on the tax bill starts, the House first needs to pass the rule on how the debate and votes will go, with a simple majority vote. Because Republicans will all vote against the rule set by Democratic leaders – Pelosi and Democratic leaders need to pass the rule just with Democratic votes.
Apparently many Reps are still really unhappy with the bill, so we should all call, e-mail, or fax our reps and let them know how we feel.
Many liberals in the Democratic caucus are upset at the bill’s provision on estate taxes and want to amend the measure and send it back to the Senate. The problem is that Democrats would have to vote on the Senate-passed bill if they want to change the estate tax provision.
[….]
A deal is being worked out, according to DeFazio, that would allow liberals to offer an amendment that would change the estate-tax provision so that estates up to $7 million would be tax free for couples, with anything above that amount taxed at 45%.
That amendment also would include a plan by Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., to get rid of the 2% cut in payroll taxes in the bill, which some opponents believe would undermine Social Security. It would be replaced by a new infusion of the “Making Work Pay” tax credit of up to $400 for individuals and $800 for families that Obama included in last year’s massive economic stimulus package. Also, liberal Democrats want to include a $250 relief payment to seniors.
A little more detail from the Wall Street Journal:
A procedural motion setting rules for debate on the bill was scotched due to objections from Rep. Gene Taylor (D., Miss.) and other Democrats, lawmakers and aides said.
“There have been a number of issues raised. We need time to work it out,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.), after the procedural motion was pulled from the floor.
Mr. McGovern said he believes the vote will still happen at some point Thursday, after leaders have time to consult with Democratic lawmakers on the way forward. “It’s a bump, I think it’ll be taken care of,” said Mr. McGovern.
Democrats who objected to the procedural motion said they wanted a chance to vote to change estate-tax provisions in the Senate bill, without having to vote in support of the rest of the Senate bill’s provisions.
I’ll post updates as I learn more. I wish this meant a real uprising by liberal reps, but I hate to get my hopes up only to have them dashed once again.
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Wish this was the end of it.
If only.
Having a chance to make amendments that won’t pass is kabuki theater. Unless the Democrats don’t pass the give away to the rich, I think the left should vote GOP next time. We might as well help the GOP control of government 100 percent. and make them responsible for the state of the country. The Democrats brought back to life the GOP, a dead party by acting like the GOP, it’s time for a one party rule under one banner, not a phony two party system.
Pelosi scrambles to save Obama tax package after scrapped vote – TheHill.com
I feel like Quigley, my brain is going to blow up to!
I love Anthony Weiner, and I couldn’t care less if Mike Quigley’s brain blows up.
I love Weiner too….
In an interview this morning on Democracy Now, with congressmen Rush Holt and Raul Grijalva (http://tinyurl.com/26uv985), Grijalva said he didn’t think that the House Rules Committee (headed up by Louise Slaughter, if I recall correctly), was going to allow a vote on the Weiner amendment. Both Holt and Grijalva were seriously concerned that if the payroll tax “holiday” idea wasn’t stricken from the bill that it would spell the beginning of the end of Social Security. Serious stuff here.
I saw Rush Holt on some show last night. Maybe Olbermann? He was very upset about the Social Security implications. I’m glad at least the word is getting out on TV about the real threat to SS from this President.
Looks like the GOP is going to add some more drama to the budget bill…GOP will paralyze Senate floor with reading of 1,924-page spending bill – TheHill.com
And…cspan.org is down…do you think the “anonymous” crowd is up to something?
McConnell Embraces Obama's "Taxes Won't Go Up for Anyone" Claim | MyFDL
Actually, no, they won’t see it. They won’t see the difference until they file their taxes for 2011 and there is no $400 or $800 credit.
Yes, they will see their paycheck go up, very, very slightly from the 2% payroll tax holiday. But over the course of a year, that total will not equal what they could have gotten in one lump sum with the Making Work Pay credit.
So, they’ll think they are getting more money, when all the while, it’s just an illusion.
Thanks for that break down bluelyon. It’s all just a grand illusion…now I have to go listen to that Styx song.
It’s because the fix is in. I truly believe that all that “compromise” and the meeting at the WH was put together months ago and whatever happened after the election was theater. Pelosi, Reid, and McConnell are all in bed with Wall Street and Obama. The so called compromise would have happened as it stands, regardless what happened in the midterm election. The liberals in the house are being railroaded by the leadership, and I hope they can see it. The Democratic leadership is taking care of themselves, not the party and not the American people.
Just got home from a great day with my Mom and read this post.
I immediately emailed my Rep. to tell him to keep fighting. Hope it helps!
Thanks, and good for you! Interestingly, Reid has also withdrawn the budget bill from the Senate floor.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46520.html
The article mentions that even the stripped down House version of the budget is not acceptable now. Very Interesting. That is the bill that has the food safety management whatever (old S 510) act stuck in it.
Were the Repubs going to make them read the whole 1900 pages of the bill? That’s hilarious. Dems should have done that ages ago.
I am so jaded by the shenanigans coming out of DC that nothing will surprise me in the end.
Many of these congress critters face reelection in 2012 and what better way to appeal to your constituents then by showing videos of their “opposition” but excusing their “caving in” with apologies offered for “what else could we do when being held hostage?”
Was it only one week ago that Sherrod Brown was running from one cable outlet to another, braying about the awfulness of this bill and spending another 1/2 hr on the Floor of the Senate essentially endorsing whatever Bernie Sanders was attempting to explain?
A scant few days later Brown voted “yes”. What was all the umbrage about in the first place if you were willing to back down when push comes to shove?
I no longer get “excited” when it appears that some politician appears to be doing “the right thing” until the votes are cast and counted. Most of what comes out of DC is nothing but “theater” and playing to the home crowd because when the going gets tough, the “tough” play word games that add up to another exercise in game playing.
This bill will pass. Just keep an eye on the gasbags who screamed the loudest about the “unfairness” of this policy who change their position when the time comes to act.
The release says that on June 24 2010 Congressman Nye voted against a bill which would have defunded the 5-10 billion required by the Internal Revenue Service IRS to implement and enforce the health care legislation including thousands of new IRS agents and employees. 5570 a bill that would have blocked IRS funding to enforce the health care law. 19 2009 Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate version of the health care bill which became the basis for the bill that was passed by both chambers and signed into law.