As Democrats soften opposition, Senate set to begin debate on tax cuts

Items added to tax cut bill to draw support
WASHINGTON — As Democrats in Congress battled in public over a proposal to extend Bush-era Income Tax cuts, a group of Democratic lawmakers are pushing to make subtle changes to help sweeten the pot. The agreement worked out between President Obama and Republican lawmakers would extend the expiring cuts for all Taxpayers for two years, continue jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and cut Social Security Payroll taxes next year. Many Democrats have balked at the Compromise, particu...

Senate sets up cloture vote for Monday on tax bill
Senate Democrats are moving ahead with a package to extend the Bush Tax Cuts for two years setting up a Cloture vote for 3 p.m. Monday.  A draft bill is still expected to be released soon with Senate Democrats ironing out the final details of the package, that extend the Bush-era Tax Cuts for two years and federal Unemployment Benefits for 13 months. The House has balked at the plan and said they will wait to see what the Senate does before determining whether they'll bring up the bill.  Hou...

House Democrats rebel against deal to extend tax cuts
Reporting from Washington and Los Angeles — Angry House Democrats on Thursday voted to reject the tax-cut extension package negotiated by President Obama with Republicans. In an emotional voice vote in their Caucus, Democrats, who have repeatedly attacked the agreement as too generous to the rich, said the package should not come to the floor in its current form. The next step is up to the leadership. “In the caucus Thursday, House Democrats supported a resolution to reject the Se...

Rep. Gary Ackerman: Tax Cut Deal Is GOP's 'Wet Dream Act'
© Huffington Post Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-New York) used a crude play on words Wednesday, when he described what he saw as Obama's gift to the GOP in the recent Tax Cut deal as the "Republican Wet DREAM Act" -- apparently no relation to the actual Dream Act. "Members of the Democratic Caucus are saying 'why should we take this vote, we're gonna get blamed for adding to the Deficit,'" Ackerman told MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan in his analysis of the potential political consequences of passing Obam...

The Eerily Prescient Mr. Brooks
The NY Times is now front-paging the notion that David Brooks floated (as a trial balloon on behalf of the White House?) last week - Obama is considering a re-branding as a champion of tax simplification and reform. I thought, and think, that the idea is absurd, as explained in my earlier post.  Still, here was Brooks imagining a bold declaration from Obama: We will extend the Bush rates for everybody for one year, along with Unemployment Benefits. But during that year we will enact a co...

Democrats defy Obama, oppose tax deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Angry Democrats in the House of Representatives defied President Barack Obama on Thursday and rejected a deal he struck with Republicans to extend low Tax Rates that are set to expire in three weeks. While unlikely on its own to derail the tax plan, the House Democrats' rebellion gives Obama another political Headache just over a month after he took a beating in mid-term Elections. In a raucous, closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, mutinous Democrats chanted "Just say no!...

Senate tax-cut bill lures Dems
The Senate released its bill Thursday to extend the Bush-era Tax Cuts for two years, but also renews a host of more minor tax provisions aimed at winning over recalcitrant Democrats in the House and Senate. The bill, which faces its first key test vote Monday in the Senate, mirrors the deal that President Barack Obama struck earlier this week with Republicans. It extends the Tax Cuts for all Americans regardless of income, renews jobless benefits for one year and reinstates the Estate Tax at ...

HuffPost TV: Howard Fineman On The Tax-Cut Revolt Among House Dems (VIDEO)
HuffPost's Howard Fineman appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" Thursday night to discuss the revolt among House Democrats against the White House over President Barack Obama's tax-cut Compromise with Republicans. "They're angry. They feel ignored, which they were," Fineman told host Keith Olbermann. "I just think the White House has been focused for the last two years primarily on the Senate ... and they took their eye off the ball, in the case of the House." WATCH: Visit msnbc.com for breaking ne...

Democrats defy Obama, oppose tax deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Angry Democrats in the House of Representatives defied President Barack Obama on Thursday and rejected a deal he struck with Republicans to extend low Tax Rates that are set to expire in three weeks. While unlikely on its own to derail the tax plan, the House Democrats' rebellion gives Obama another political Headache just over a month after he took a beating in mid-term Elections. In a raucous, closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, mutinous Democrats chanted "Just say no!"...

Renewable energy industry banking on more grants
WASHINGTON—Officials in the wind industry say that a hard-fought extension of a cash grant program for Renewable Energy will be a lifeline for domestic producers, saving tens of thousands of jobs. "Factories across the country will restart production lines, recall workers and avoid layoffs that would have followed the loss of this key incentive for Wind Energy, which with consistent policies like this one can generate 20 percent of America's electricity within 20 years," Denise Bode, CEO ...

Obama's tax cut: Democrats lose civility as they refuse to 'cave in' (Video)
“F*** the president," mutterings have shocked the nation as Democrats steel one another and  themselves against enabling Obama as he, realistically, attempts  to move to the center-left to keep government functioning.  Today, marked the beginning of total exposure of  the civility charade among Democrats  - whether it's the slow death of a presidency remains to be seen. Democratic politicians didn't hold back today, angrily denouncing President Obama. Following is ...

Republicans Slam DREAM Act for Including Immigrants With Criminal Records
In this Tuesday, May 25, 2010 photo, Activists from a group called the Student Immigrant Movement march from the Boston Statehouse en route to the office of U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass. , to deliver 1,500 letters asking for his support for a federal Immigration law known as the DREAM Act. (AP) With the House cruising toward a vote on the DREAM Act as early as Wednesday night and the Senate on Thursday, Republicans are grousing about what they argue is a glaring Loophole that allows illegal imm...

Senate leaders set to begin debate on tax cuts
By Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray Washington Post Staff Writers Wednesday, December 8, 2010 Senate leaders planning to begin debate as soon as Thursday on a far-reaching tax package as rank-and-file Democrats warm to an agreement between the White House and Republicans to extend a host of expiring Tax Cuts and pump fresh cash into The Economy. Democrats were still angry Wednesday about what they viewed as President Obama's capitulation to GOP demands to preserve cuts for the wealthiest Am...

Senate Republicans keep to stance, block 9/11 first responders health care bill
Senate Republicans stuck by their pledge to not allow any bills to come to the floor before Tax Cut Legislation was dealt with and successfully filibustered a Sept. 11, 2001 First Responders bill on Thursday. The Legislation would have given $7.4 billion in Health Care and compensation to 9/11 First Responders and survivors. It also would have reopened a compensation fund for 9/11 Victims. The bill failed 57-42, with 57 Democrats in favor of it, 41 Republicans in opposition and Senate Majority L...

"Supply-Side Economics: Tea Party Style"
Pro-Growth Liberal takes is puzzled by Michele Bachmann's complaint that extending Unemployment Insurance will increase the Deficit: Supply-side Economics: Tea Party Style: Andrew Leonard covers the opposition to the Obama-McConnell tax deal coming from Tea Party star Michele Bachmann. I’m tempted to say that her comments make me feel 30 years younger... After all, 30 years ago we were mocking supply-siders and their Laugher Curve. Andrew notes: And as for what the country can afford? Th...

Senate to Begin Debate on Tax Plan
The Washington Post reports: Senate leaders are planning to begin debate on a far-reaching tax package as soon as Thursday as rank-and-file Democrats warm to an agreement between the White House and Republicans to extend a host of expiring Tax Cuts and pump fresh cash into The Economy. Democrats were still angry Wednesday about what they viewed as President Obama’s capitulation to GOP demands to preserve Tax Cuts for the wealthiest Americans, particularly a deal to exempt estates worth ...

White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs expressed confidence that the Tax Cuts deal between the White House and Republicans would be passed by Congress. The House Democratic Caucus rejected the plan earlier with a voice vote behind closed doors....

Obama-GOP tax deal faces fight in Congress
President Obama defends the deal he made with GOP leaders to extend all of the Tax Cuts in return for an extension of unem- ployment benefits. SF Gate polls are strictly surveys of those who choose to participate and are therefore not valid statistical samples. Our poll software uses a variety of methods to ensure that only votes determined to be valid are tabulated. When this determination cannot be made, we may not process your vote. No actions are taken by SF Gate as a result of the polls. Pr...

House Democrats revolt, reject unemployment compromise
The Democratic Caucus in the U.S. House voted this afternoon to reject the Compromise deal negotiated between President Obama and the Republican leadership to extend both federal Unemployment Benefits and the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The House Democratic Caucus voted to oppose President Barack Obama’s tax plan, throwing into flux weeks of negotiations on an issue that has turned many congressional Democrats against the White House. Oregon Rep. Peter Defazio offered a res...

Tax Bill to add $857 Billion to Debt
by CalculatedRisk on 12/09/2010 11:10:00 PM From Bloomberg: Senate Tax-Cut Extension Plan Would Add $857 Billion to Debt The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, which estimates the revenue effects of tax Legislation, said the provisions would cost the government $801.3 billion in forgone revenue over 10 years. Extending Unemployment Benefits for 13 months, another feature of the package, would cost $56 billion, the Obama Administration has said.It is important to remember the Joint Com...

Obama and Bill Clinton to Meet
Bill Clinton in Manila last month. The latest on President Obama, the new Congress and other news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion. WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton is to meet on Friday with President Obama at the White House for a post-election conversation about moving the agenda forward in a new political environment, a senior Democrat told of the meeting said. The meeting will be the first between the two men since the Midterm Elections, when voter...

House Dems Hoping To Include Zadroga Act In Tax Cut Bill
The US Senate failed to pass a measure that would allow debate to begin on the 9/11 Health Care and Compensation Act. The bill, which has already passed in the House, would provide $7 billion in aid to First Responders and their families. However there are efforts to resurrect the Legislation and include it in the Controversial Tax Cut bill. Rep. Carolyn Maloney was among the members of Congresses disappointed with the outcome of Thursday’s vote. She’s actually one of the sponsors o...

GOP Senators Block Aid Bill For Sick Ground Zero Workers
Caring only about Tax Breaks for the rich this holiday season, Republican senators have stopped Legislation to give Ground Zero workers Health Care. The bill calls for providing $3.2 billion over the next eight years to monitor and treat injuries stemming from exposure to toxic dust and debris at ground zero. New York City would pay 10 percent of those health costs. The bill would also set aside $4.2 billion to reopen the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund to provide payments for job and ...

Reconciliation
DADT didn't fail. The Senate did. Recap: Why the left hates the Tax Cut deal (plus some great graphs); why some general fund revenues could be good for Social Security; and why Senate Democrats don't want to vote on the Debt ceiling. 1) There's no link in this sentence, but my guess is that the defeat of the DADT Repeal bill makes the Tax Cut deal a lot less likely. 2) The latest issue of the American Prospect. 3) Some news stories are too shocking to summarize. Recipe of the day: Three takes o...

Reminder: Republican Hysteria About "The Death Tax" Is Based On Misinformation
Since the White House and Senate Republican leaders announced the framework of a deal to extend the Bush Tax Cuts for two years, the provisions regarding the Estate Tax have drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Under the deal, the Estate Tax would be set at 35 percent and would only apply to estates larger than $5 million. While Democrats reportedly oppose those generous parameters, many congressional Republicans insist that any "death tax" at all is unacceptable and even "crue...