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Subscribe to RSSIn a statement, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi suggested House Democrats will support the stand-alone extension of the payroll tax cut that is not offset with cuts or revenue increases elsewhere.
"The House has voted twice overwhelmingly to instruct the Conference Committee to complete all of its work by this Friday, February 17," Pelosi said. "The House Republican leadership plans to bring to the floor a stand-alone payroll tax cut extension bill tomorrow. We have long proposed bringing this tax cut to the floor without payfors and House Democrats will support it so that taxes are not raised on 160 million working Americans."
Yet Pelosi added that "this should not be a substitute for the work of the conference committee" that is trying to hammer out a compromise.
And she called on Republicans to cancel the recess scheduled for next week if work is not done to also extend unemployment insurance and the Medicare "doc fix":
"We continue to call upon the conferees to resolve the remaining issues - extending unemployment benefits and ensuring seniors continue to see their doctors under Medicare - by February 17th. If the conference committee is unable to complete its work on a comprehensive bill by that date, the Republican leadership should cancel the recess and remain in Washington next week. These crucial policies affect millions of middle class families and seniors and must not expire at the end of this month."
Meanwhile, in a pen-and-pad session with reporters, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would not predict how this payroll tax cut extension would play out. He was pleased House Republicans have "retreated" on their position that the tax cut be paid for, and he said Democrats would continue to push for agreement on extending unemployment benefits and the so-called "doc-fix" payments to Medicare doctors.
Schumer was asked specifically whether the Senate would pass a payroll tax cut extension sent over from the House -- without attaching unemployment insurance and the "doc fix."
But he wouldn't commit to that, saying that discussions are still taking place among the conference committee, House Republicans, and House Democrats.
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Uh oh, now RWNJs are going to say Nancy is a socialist and fiscally irresponsible. Even though this is their idea.
GOP is saying they may extend the payroll tax cuts without strings.
However, they're not saying the same about unemployment benefits.
GOP/Koch's plan may be to hold whatever hostage - if it will benefit the 1%.
We've seen this costly game played out many times already.
TeaPeople cannot be trusted.
What will they extract if they're willing to 'cave' on the payroll tax cut extension?
Will they hold hostage unemployment benefits and/or the 'doc fix'?
....This won't go as smoothly as it seems!
Besides having more class as well as basic intelligence, Nancy Pelosi has bigger cojones than any other member of congress, especially when it comes to Speaker John Boehner...
I so hope that the democrats take back the house in November and put Nancy Pelosi back as speaker of the house... Without a doubt this woman is smarter, sharper and better than tear jerking Boehner could ever hope to be... I will be one very happy American the day I see Boehner hand back the gavel to Speaker Nancy Pelosi... I'll probably have to through a neighborhood block party...
what is a "doc fix"?
This is what you expect from a reasonable leader........work things out.
The 'doc' fix:
In about two weeks' time, Doctors who treat Medicare patients will get a 27% pay cut, unless something is done about it. About 500 doctors are in WA right now lobbying lawmakers.
PEN,
The Doc Fix has been passed using short-term temporary bills with no pay increases for at least 5 years.
I am leary of just paying out the Medicare and Medicaid payments. I have personally seen the unbelievable waste and errors in charging in those programs. I have seen tests ordered simply because the government would pay for them, not because there was any medical need for them. I have seen medications on bills that I was certain the patients didn't receive.....don't ask me to feel too badly for the doctors and hospitals for not getting 100% as I firmly believe that the name of the game in medicine is to charge outrageously knowing that insurance and medicare/medicaid will only give a portion of what you are asking...the goal is to try to inflate things enough, so that you get what the goods and services actually cost to provide.
My concern with the GOP suddenly willing to pass this bill unfunded, is running up the debt. Are they suddenly going on a spending spree to force another Debt Limit debacle, just before the election?
I smell a rat... A GNOP rat...
The debt ceiling debacle was already on the schedule before the elections season. We need to raise the ceiling just to cover the interest on the loan money that we owe to China
you libs supporting this do know the payroll tax cut is actually social security money
House Republicans seriously overplayed their hand. Imagine a situation where a kidnapper takes a hostage, demands a million dollars and a helicopter to get away. Now imagine that the negotiator says, "Ok, we'll give you the million dollars and the helicopter...and we'll also let you keep the hostage so that you can extort more from us again in two months."
That's the deal the Republicans got from the Democrats, but those in the House didn't know when to say "yes". So they pushed for even more. Democrats had already caved as far as they could, and with their backs to the wall finally pushed back. Republicans backtracked.
And now, with the momentum switched, they want to just extend the cuts without any payfors in order to avoid Democrats using them to gain leverage on things like extending unemployment insurance or taxes on the rich, investors class (all popular ideas that the Republicans are committed to opposing). It's like a scene near the end of a family movie where the kidnappers say, "Here, just please take the hostage back. It's more trouble than its worth."
You know, after three or so years of extending unemployment benefits, you would think that the long time beneficiaries of these payments should get a clue that waiting out the recession is not a winning strategy.
Texas is a tough State to get unemployment benefits. May be tough love but it prods an unemployed worker to be realistic about their former and future job prospects.
I have seen many people in my own community who literally view this as extended paid vacation. They are loving being soccer Moms and going on school field trips, and not seriously seeking employment, comparable or otherwise until much closer to the deadline whereby the benefits will end. There have been articles in the paper about how men are enjoying being "stay at home Dads" instead of supporting their famililes. Those of us still working are paying for all these people to have paid leaves that we will never see, and when we, the working people, all keel over with heart attacks, our government will tell us how our illness is our own fault and we aren't eligible for any assistance, medical or otherwise. They will assist us to make "end of life" choices, so that they can grab off what little is left of our estates to pay for yet more people to do nothing.
Rick Perry Is that You . Can i have your autograph? Just Sign it TO: Carpenter From : The Teaaxis of evil Rick . LMAO thanks .
In all seriousness My concern NOW after 11 STRAIGHT years of stupidity from the Republicans , Is that we cannot vote them OUT fast enough to fix our Country's problem ,s Fast Enough .