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Subscribe to RSS“House and Senate negotiators announced late Wednesday evening a sweeping deal to extend a payroll tax cut, jobless benefits and Medicare doctor payments, overcoming several last-minute obstacles that appeared to imperil the bipartisan agreement,” Roll Call writes. “The fact that the deal had not been posted online by Thursday means House Republicans would have to renege on their Pledge to America in order to hold a Friday vote.”
The Hill: “House and Senate negotiators early Thursday finalized a deal to extend the payroll tax cut, emergency unemployment benefits and the Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors. Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the leaders of the committee charged with dealing with the payroll tax cut, told reporters after midnight that a few ‘minor’ details remain to be worked out, but a majority of conferees have endorsed the package.”
“House Republicans stumbled toward a congressional recess Wednesday as Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) delayed his signature highway bill and rank-and-file members grumbled about a tentative payroll tax deal,” The Hill writes. “While the payroll deal appeared poised to pass with Democratic help, the struggle to pass the highway bill, a jobs centerpiece, underscored a rocky start to 2012 for a House GOP hoping to hold its majority in the fall.”
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No wonder they "compromised" and finally got something accomplished - they want more time off...
and there were no more public buildings to name...
and their rating of satisfaction is lowest in history...
and they are finally learning that they have to represent their constituents instead of Grover...
and maybe they are begining to see that the President IS leading this nation out of the mess they created between 2001 and 2009,
All I can say is, it is about time they did something constructive (instead of the usual obstructionism they are famous for.)
Not to worry, they will find a way to screw it up. They always do.
Its going to be fun reading the republican/ tea bagger response on this one. The right has no record to run on. How can you say you did anything? Everything they sent to the senate was so one sided then you wonder why it was not brought up. At this point you guys & girls will say anything to save face.
Obama Biden 2012
Wasn't it bipartisan Smitty? But you bring up a good point though when you say, "Everything they sent to the senate was so one sided then you wonder why it was not brought up? I bet you didn't have a problem from 09-10 when the Democrats controlled everything and passed the crap they passed right?
Actually I was hoping they would have taken a page from the bush jr playbook when he had the majority. Just ram it down our throats like it or not. Just my opinion.
Well I think Obama did take that page and rammed HR down our throats.............look where is lays now?
Smitty-418367
I agree with you. At the end of Bush's second term I was ready to move on. I couldn't stand his arrogance, I was so done. I had high hopes for Obama, but then came Health Care Reform. The closed door meetings and the deals to get votes, with no transparency pretty much soured my opinion of him.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I agree the tototas...It's no wonder why the public has a negative attitude against ALL memebers of Congress...Democrat AND Republican...
The Dems wanted this tax cut paid for, but ended up agreeing to no "pay for" because Tepublicans would rather increase deficits and de-fund Social Security than ask for a surtax on the rich. Unlike the "my way or the highway" GOP/TP obstructionists, the Dems compromised AGAIN, but if you want to call it bipartisan, what ever...
The back door meetings and deals due to Blue Dog Dems, who really should have run as Republicans are no longer in office, thankfully. But at least the Dems learn from backlash unlike the Teapublicans, and I'm pretty certain we won't see that tactic from the Dems again. As for President Obama, he expressed his personal hopes regarding health care reform, but unlike Hillary, left the Affordable Health Care Act to be hammered out by Congress. The reason why the right-wing calls it "Obamacare" and blame him for the deals is just the usual hate directed at him.
Ultimately, health care reform was only insurance reform. Delivery of services are still provided by the private sector (hospitals, clinics, doctors, most are for-profit), not the government. Like the "death panels" and other right-wing lies, it's amazing people are so gullible as to be against protection from greedy, unethical insurance companies and Big Pharma. Maybe the FDA should check for lead in products consumed by conservatives, because they seem to suffer from brain damage.
They compromised because they know they will be going on unemployment soon and will need the money.Bunch of worthless do nothing bums
uaw -- generally those on the left have referred to the republicans as obstructionist yet when they compromise and do something in a bipartisan manner you call them a "bunch of worthless do nothing bums". so no matter what they do or don't do you will call them names. have i got that right?
camp is a bagger and if blue dog baucus was involved it can't be good?
gee, both the right and left are moving in the same direction and still the FR left isn't happy.
Bet they will be ecstatic over obamas operation "narwhal". Ain't technology great or say goodbye to privacy.