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Updated 1:19 p.m. — A path toward resolving the impending the co-called fiscal cliff was suspended in limbo Friday following a dramatic defeat for House Speaker John Boehner, whose own rank-and-file members refused to support his backup plan Thursday night.
After conservatives balked at Boehner's "Plan B," which would have preserved current income tax rates for those making less than $1 million, the nation's top elected Republican shrugged off questions about whether his job was in danger. And as Washington prepares for a holiday break, Democrats and Republicans are further apart than ever on a plan to avoid the combination of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect in just 11 days.
And the Ohio Republican emerged Friday urging President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats to re-engage in talks toward an overarching deal toward resolving the fiscal cliff, the combination of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts (which fall heavily upon the defense budget) set to take effect on Jan. 1.
"I'm interested in solving the major problems facing our country," Boehner said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "And that means House leaders, Senate leaders and the president are going to continue to have to work together to address those concerns."
With just 10 days until the nation goes over the so-called "fiscal cliff," lawmakers head home for the holidays. For the president, his stay in Hawaii will be a "working vacation." NBC's Kristen Welker reports.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., demanded that Boehner allow a Democratic proposal to extend tax rates for income under $250,000 to come up for a vote.
"There's nothing preventing the speaker from taking up our bill," Reid said Friday afternoon on the Senate floor. Boehner did say the House would "certainly take a look" at that bill, if the Senate manages to resolve a procedural holdup that would bar the House from considering the legislation. (Reid called that excuse "phony.")
But the speaker's task has become more vexing than ever; conservatives sent a powerful signal yesterday that they would not approve any tax increase, even on millionaires. Obama's demand that tax rates be allowed to rise for the wealthiest Americans amounts to a seemingly intractable standoff with House Republicans.
Boehner said that many lawmakers still prefer broad reforms to the tax code, but he acknowledged the difficulty in reaching any consensus: "How we get there? God only knows."
The president plans to work with Congress to prevent tax hikes and spending cuts that are expected to kick in on January 1 after House Republicans rejected a vote on House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" legislation. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.
The speaker seemed unconcerned, though, about the prospects for an uprising from fellow Republicans.
"No, I am not," Boehner said when asked directly whether he should be concerned about his position. "If you do the right things every day for the right reasons, the right things will happen."
Republican leaders dismissed House lawmakers for the holiday weekend after pulling the vote on Thursday evening. Boehner said they would be recalled to Washington "as needed." The Democratic-controlled Senate is currently scheduled to reconvene next Thursday, Dec. 27.
"It's too bad Speaker Boehner wasted a week on this futile, political stunt," Reid said. "It's time for the speaker and all Republicans to return to the negotiating table."
The intervening time period might allow for Boehner and Obama to reach an agreement, though its final approval in the House would almost certainly involve the speaker turning to Democrats for votes. That would strengthen Obama's ability to insist upon tax rates, spending cuts and entitlement reforms that hew more closely to the plan on which he campaigned for much of this year.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Boehner has "done his part. He's bent over backwards." As an alternative, the top Senate Republican proposed extending tax rates for a full year with instructions to enact tax reform in the meanwhile. (Democrats rejected it out-of-hand.)
For their part, Republicans said they would look to Obama for action on a path forward.
"I don't want taxes to go up, Republicans don't want taxes to go up," Boehner said. "But we only run the House; Democrats continue to run Washington."
McConnell said: "It's the president's job — it's his job — to find a solution that can pass the Congress."
In the meanwhile, Boehner said he remained committed to working toward a deal, and said he was not interested in giving up his position as speaker.
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GOP-wow!
The Tea Party are idiots.... The country has worked on compromise for over 200 years and these numb skulls are to immature to compromise in any way. They absolutely refuse to give on anything. They are constantly , threatening to hold their breath until WE (The United States) passes out. All so that wealthy donors, can save 3% on their taxes....
I have seen 9 year olds work together better... Either the Tea Party needs to learn to compromise, or they need to just go away.... Forever.....
My prediction... Either the Tea Party disappears, or the GOP does...
That isn't even close to true. The tea party is fighting for the cuts so that medicare and SS will last and to help our country avoid bankruptcy. They want real cuts now instead of imaginary ones in the future. That is the only reason why they voted no. They care too much about our children's future than to continue to avoid the problems.
Exactly true sane person... And a well-chosen screen name to boot!
As opposed to P.A.F. here mis-firing on all cylinders... We see what the the tea-party and GOP have become, as do the vast majority of ACTUAL Americans, but PAF sees them in the studio taping a Christmas version of "We are the world... We are the children..."
Me: "How deep is that sand?"... P.A.F.: *"Mmmfpd hnba" (*low, muffled response)
Chick.....Are you just another gullible person that believes a pile of lies and can't see the truth? Face the facts.
It's so sad to watch the train-wreck that is the GOP/Tea-Baggers! Wreck in progress and they can't even open thier eyes long enough to see the caboose that's about to ram up their bung-hole! And too arrogant to listen to the WISHES OF THE PEOPLE! It would be funny if they weren't dragging the entire country down with them!
John Boehner couldn't organize a successful luncheon, much less a compromise to keep the country from going over the fiscal cliff. The ultra conservative, "slash and burn" Tea Party types who now control the GOP are irresponsible zealots of the first magnitude. The positive thing is that if they keep up this childish behavior while damaging the country, they'll be voted out of office. That can't come soon enough.
Well, today is 12/21/12 (Winter Solstice) Thanks to the folks on the hill (all of them), if they don't come up with an agreement than the apocalypse begins; not the armegadon, just the end of the world as we know it. Economic failure on a grand scale. And it is all thanks to our fearless "leaders."
It's beginning to look like a deal will NOT get done. THAT means the destruction of this version of the GOP! THAT will be good for the country. You know why?
Reagan went on a tax cut (for the wealthy) and spending binge that nearly collapsed our finances. It DID lead us into a recession, which is why Reagan had to increases other taxes over 11 times! One of those taxes was an increase of FICA to assure that SS could weather the baby boom spike! Then why is SS gonna run out of money on 30 years or so???? Where's the money??
Then we get the blatent attack on the unions, who helped BUILD the middle class and the standard of living that most of us enjoy! Then the stock market crash of 1987! Bottom line, the national debt INCREASED by nearly 300% under Reagan!
GHWB also went on a tax cut (mostly for the wealthy) and spending spree and the debt now DOUBLED!!! What did WE get out of it??? NOTHING except the Savings and Loan failures which cost us BILLIONS. Oh yeah. HE increased taxes too, but on whom?? YEP! US!!
What Bush jr did to this country is a matter of record. He added over $6T to the debt, got a $1.8T tax cut passed, mostly for the wealthy, lied us into war (5000 dead soldiers/13000 maimed), passed a Medicare RX bill that was NOT paid for adding hundreds of billions MORE to the debt. THEN the GOP crashed the economy and had the nerve to try and sabotage the recovery by opposing everything that the New President tried to accomplish. Imagine!!! At a time of crisis, with the country’s entire financial system near collapse, with the economy collapsing, with the stock market collapsing, with unemployment skyrocketing, with people losing their jobs and retirement money, the GOP announced that THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY was to assure that Pres. Obama was a 1 term president---- even BEFORE he was sworn in!!!
They abandoned their duty to the American people for the sake of sabotaging a new president taking office in the midst of the greatest crisis since 1929.--- for the sake of political gain! I don’t know if that fit’s the legal definition of treason, but it sure smells like it and is at the very least, un-American and unpatriotic. Never before have I seen a political party abandon it’s country in time of crisis! NEVER! Oh yeah, and they saddled Obama with a $1.3T deficit then proceeded to blame the resulting deficits to Obama!
And you people still buy into the lies! It's like you keep getting kicked in the head by a mule and keep coming back cuz the mule was sorry and you get kicked again!!! How many times are you gonna get kicked until you realize that this version of the GOP doesnt give a FIG about you and me!! NOW they are prepared to take this country over "the cliff" cuz they REFUSE to allow the bush tax cuts on the wealthy and the corporate loopholes to expire!! I could see if if the tax cuts were for the middle and working classes.... BUT they're for the rich,. And many of you KEEP supporting them??? MORE kicks in the head?
Remember, we KNOW that the GOP worships at the altar of the moneyed and corporate elite, while giving Joe America, you and me, THE FINGER!! And you STILL buy the BS!!!! Well, then, maybe you DESERVE another recession, DESERVE going over the financial cliff. You SHOULD be on your phones giving your republicans congresscritter an EARFUL about their constant kowtowing to the rich. Remember also, if the last 3 GOP presidents had NOT signed TWENTY deficit riddled budgets, saddled Obama with a $1.3T deficit, and gone on HUGE spending sprees, WE WOULDNT HAVE A DEBT CRISIS!
http://zfacts.com/p/318.html
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/06/tax-cuts-republicans-starve-the-beast-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/the-fiscal-legacy-of-george-w-bush/
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/blaming-obama-for-george-w-bushs-policies/
Sabotaging the economy was GOP's plan from day one .. http://blogs.detroitnews.com/politics/2012/06/16/sabotaging-the-economy-was-gops-plan-from-day-one/
http://thinkprogress.org/progress-report/sabotage-2/
I know you like posting that junk, which is almost entirely untrue. The facts are correct, but your claims about the facts are inaccurate. Have a little intellectual honesty.
1. All of Reagans "spendign binge" was authored by democrats. In fact, that is the primary reason that the GOP can't get anything passed now. We have burned time and time before by the lying democrats who offer tax cuts for tax increases. We always get the tax cuts, but the deceitful democrats never follow through on the cuts. You have to blame the democrats more than Reagan on that one. The only thing you can blame Reagan about with the debt is that he didn't stand up to democrats. Instead, he passed their legislation.
2. The FICA tax increase was not to be the ONLY increase in the passed 25 years. Both parties have avoided changing the tax rates of the benefits. Reagan's increase was never claimed to be a fix all. You are the only one claiming that. It was supposed to be fixed continually as life expectancy and medical care costs increase.
3. The Bush tax cuts didn't go mostly to the wealthy. That is a complete lie that has been debunked over and over and I can't believe people still post that junk.
4. Bush also say the greatest increase in tax revenues ever. If the goal was to starve the beast, then why would they give government the most money ever?
5. The democrat saddled Obama with the $1.3 trillion deficit. They were the ones that wrote those bills. Even then, it is dishonest not to mention that $800 billion of that was in tarp, a one time bill. The next year Obama spent that and more and has continued to spend $800 billion more than Bush.
Please stop being so partisan and look at all the facts instead of being so narrowminded.
Put: 1 is false.Reagan did indeed sign those budget. Bushes DID sign those budgets.And research shows that a sitting president almost always gets what he wants in a budget.
2) In 1983, Ronald Regan and Congress agreed to increase FICA taxes on workers and employers; by deducting significantly more than what was needed to support Social Security in the near term (Public Laws: 98-118, 369,168, and 364). Since 1984, Boomers have paid extra FICA taxes to assure Social Security remained solvent for their retirement years! http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=226570&mesg_id=226715
3) FALSE. A HUGE proportion of the financial benefit of the bush tax cuts went to those making over $240K/yr.... THAT'S why they're called "tax cuts for the rich"!! http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/12/the_bush_tax_cuts_in_one_chart.html
4) TOTALLY FALSE: In fact, revenues under bush went into STEEP decline until 2006 or so!
Total federal revenues declined not only in 2001, but also in the following two years, according to CBO historical budget figures. In fiscal 2002, total revenues declined by $138 billion, and in fiscal 2003, they went down for a third year in a row — by nearly $71 billion. Revenues turned up in fiscal 2004, but didn't reach pre-tax-cut levels until fiscal year 2005 http://www.factcheck.org/2011/07/sessions-wrong-on-bush-tax-cuts/
5) Bush signed a 6 month continuing resolution on Oct 1, 2008 which enabled HIM to spend the TARP funds. That made BUSH'S DEFICIT about $1.3T before Obama ever took office! and it is the PRIMARY CAUSE of subsequent deficits.
FACE it! People just dont BELIEVE the GOP lies anymore. The GOP DID deliberately create this debt crisis so they could force privatizing of SS and Medicare. THAT is not in doubt!
Thanks for playing.
BTW, the name of the GOP strategy was called "starve the beast" -- http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/06/tax-cuts-republicans-starve-the-beast-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html
Really gets down to the far right which just won't compromise, even as Americans blame COngress and GOP in partiicular for this very avoidable debacle.
Keep in mind Obama promised he would address the deficit through 3 dollars of cuts for every new dollar of revenue. I guess that slipped his mind.
You are right Chris, the proposed cuts are too small, but I think the #1 obstacle is some in the GOP won't abide even one single cent in tax increases.
Mark.....I have heard many "tea party" congressman say that the cuts were the only reason they voted against it. They don't believe that any of the fabled cuts will come to pass. They want actual cuts. They would pass a 3 to 1 bill.
If that is correct Put then democrats are to blame. I don't believe that cutting government spending in the middle of a recovery is a good idea but short of that they must at least have a good idea of where more cuts are coming from.
Oh how I love it so. I am so happy Obama and the other dim wits on this site are not going to get their way. Even Howard Dean wants everyone's taxes to go up. It won't make a dent in my finances but I am hoping all the sheep that voted for Obama will know what its like to see more of their income go to wasteful Government spending. Heck, I predict unemployment will go back up over 9%. Then all you liberal progressives can sit back and reflect on what a wonderful job you have done.
Uh, yeah. Wasteful government spending on the largest military on earth. Larger than all others combined ten times over. But the GOP wants to Increase that spending. Dimwits and Liars.
Chew on this $%^head.....60% of Government spending are entitlements (medicare, medicaid, social security) which dwarfs defense spending. Only losers who didn't save and plan need these handouts.
Well that's a first... I've never seen a Rhodes Scholar open their debate with "Chew on this $%^head"... Makes me wonder of you're really a scholar at all... $%^head.... You call Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security "handouts", denigrate those that recieve them, and pretend to deserve a share of our air all at the same time?...
Air is an entitlement and you need to be cut off, you glorious Scholar you.
House Speaker Boner - I am seeing a vision....a vision of your future.............you have done absolutely nothing for the American people......you have done everything to preserve you current and future wealth..............your future is that the American people are fed up with your do little, do nothing performance....................the last words you will be hearing after your re-election loss will be BUH-BYE-BONER
Enjoy your tax payer funded retirement golden parachute and thanks for nothing.
Please don't use the universal term "american people" because I and about 50,000,000 other citizens think he is doing a good job and more importantly the job we sent him to do which is to protect our money from being wasted by your party. So STFU.
"50,000,000 saying the speaker is doing a good job" REALLY!!! The voices in your head don't count!!! 87% of Americans say that congress is not doing their job, of this 87% more than half blame the Republicans or Congressional Leadership in general of which he is both, so the most it could be is about 18,900,000.
The actual term for your minority is "'Merkin pipple"... Or haven't you heard it correctly pronounced? You're no part of "American People". And the VAST majority of the American People no longer give a rats a$$ what the faction of "Merkin pipple" wants. And don't come here telling other people to shut up, inbreed. Now run tell Uncle Daddy I was mean to ya.
Americans have all spoken loud and clear. They want to live within their means and return to a balanced budget. They worked hard for it, voted hard for it, and nobody is going to deny them that. Let's cut everything.
Here we go! Fire in the hole! Timber!
Yes. let's cut food stamps for the millions put out of work by Bush, the Banksters, Two unfunded wars, and the Republican Party. How soon they forget who Caused all this and Why we had to spend to repair the GOP economic disaster called GW Bush. Add lack of memory to lack of Repbulican brains.
The Republicans are incapable of governing or compromising (which is part of the Constitution they bray but never read.) Their only interest is their billionaire buddies, not the American people, although even their buddies may suffer if the recovering economy goes in the dumper. But hey, who ever accused a Teeper of being able to think?
Still, although helpless babes economically, I predict they will stand as one in support of the NRA.
Wouldn't it be great if they had to pose with the 5 foot checks for pictures like lotto winners are expected to do?...
This is great news, House Speaker John Boehner has finally realized what we have all known for years, he is the cause for this problem for his inability to do his job. John, admit you are incapable of working this problem you helped create and resign. Ohio voters have been shamed enough through all your failures, time to end this endless string of failures and retire while you can. Life will go on just fine without you, fresh new blood will come in and clean up all your failures. Do what is right John, retire now. Give us a break!!!
When the Only Admitted aim of an entire national party is to spend four years trying to get rid of a sitting President, while doing Nothing for the people - what can you expect.
We still need to fix the problem. Can 't the GOPuke pick another month to self destruct?
'God only knows'
"SOMEONE" finally got "SOMETHING" "RIGHT"!!!
I'm a gun owner, I've
have had guns in my possession and existence since I was an adolescent...But,
unlike some, I don't subscribe to "everyone carrying concealed
weapons", weapons in bars & restaurants", "weapons on college
Campus's", etc., etc., etc... In my opinion, the NRA’s inability to
recognize or consider any thought process other than its own has helped in
creating this disaster and in the process became a self fulfilling prophecy.
First, they have continually pushed the thought of everyone owning a gun and
now that the USA is awash with the guns that the NRA promoted, they say that
everyone else , in order to be safe has to own a gun to protect themselves from
all of the guns the advocated in the first place....then their silence, in the
wake of this child killing spree was deafening…..and then this morning we were
all told that there was supposed to be a “press conference” where the NRA was
going to offer some meaningful thoughts on how to deal with this gun issues now
on everyone thoughts and what occurred was nothing more than an advertisement
clothed in the form of a diatribe, everybody is wrong, everybody is culpable,
everybody is out of step EXCEPT THE NRA, more guns are the cure for
everything??? Really??? How has that
been working for us thus far??? The United States has 5% of the world’s
population, 50% of the world’s guns and on a per capita basis is one of the
most dangerous places on earth to live…and yet, we need more guns?? It’s no
wonder that Wayne LaPierre chose not to take any questions, he and the NRA don’t
have any answers other than MORE GUNS. What an absolute crock of excrement….
You have to realize it's not the NRA as a whole. The Majority of its member favor some restrictions. The Leadership, as in most large organizations, had been co-opted and taken over by "donations," bribes, and revolving door jobs from the gun industry, which obviously profits more if Anything can be sold to Anyone. It is just more corrupted organization to add to the FED, MMS, FDA, etc. At one time the Main job of the NRA was gun safety and education. I used to see ads for their safety courses. No longer. Now they are just a false face for the gun industry.
There are no "good guys" or "bad guys", only humans whose behavior fluctuates between good and bad. There's a bit of good in the worst of us and a bit of bad in the best of us. So arming everyone is an invitation to mass slaughter, and those who advocate it should be labeled as real or potential terrorists and handled by civilized society accordingly. The NRA has revealed its true identity: terrorism.
"BAN ALL GUNS"
Creates a "BLACKMARKET" and thus makes it much easier for motivated bad guys to uptain Weapons.
no "WAITING PERIODS" of "BACKGROUND CHECKS" are involved.
"GOD ONLY KNOWS" is the right and only answer.
There is no waiting period now. Just go to a gun show and get anything you want.
Ban Ammo!! $10 surcharge on bullets. Let the tax cuts expire. Obama should be ridiculing republicans. They need to be publicly flogged.
Letting the tax cuts expire would cause hundreds of millions of the middle class to have a very unhappy New Year, since an overwhelming majority of the tax cuts went to the poor and middle class.
Thats OK....I have pleanty of reloading supplies in the basement.....it works out to less than 25 cents a round.
I wonder if he turned on the tears while he was trying to get support from the members of his own party for a vote on legislation written by his own party. What a failure. Its Eric (the mouse that roared) Cantors turn.
this idiot must stop using god as an excuse for his non actions and do the work he was elected to do. Keep god out of it.
After the fiscal cliff fiasco, NRA fiasco and immigration reform people will be lined up for days to vote out the GOP permanently in 2014. Good riddance!
Watched "Carol of Another Christmas" last night a movie made in 1964 and was astonished at how accurately it depicts the Republicans of Today. Watch is if you get the chance it is amzing.
No deal will ever get done if the Republicans do not find a RATIONAL,INTELLIGENT LEADER. They have no one right now and their inability to act on anything for for people or the country is simply non existent. The stupidity we have witnessed this past week demonstrates why they lost an Election. They don't get it and never will if their constituents keep sending them back to DC. Boehner's constituents should be raising hell with him for doing nothing productive and for embarrassing the great State of Ohio. We have come to expect stupidity like this from the South their Representatives and the Tea Party but not from OHIO.
remember that the president can talk all day.. but he doesn't make laws.. he can only sign what they bring him. Our government is setup to force these fights, intentionally. No one group can do anything by themselves. This is the big game of chicken.. wouldn't you want YOUR elected representative to fight HARD for your position? when do you want them to give up? to Compromise, SOMEONE has to NOT get what they asked for.
anyhow.. if no-one brings a piece of paper to the president before 12/31 midnight, there is nothing he can do. The GOP has backed themselves into a corner, and the pres has all the negotiating power. He won't sign. and no-one has enough power to override his veto. so, no action, and taxes go up on EVERYBODY.
and lets get clear.. if we set the govt budget to ZERO, we still have to collect taxes to pay off the deficit.
and I paid my fees for SS and medicare, all my working life, with NO CHOICE.. so I EXPECT services when I am no longer working. and why should they be taxed? I accept that they will be small, and maybe not enough to completely live on, but they WERE my tax.. and not subtracted out before taxes when I worked.
'reducing spending' means cutting me out from the benefits I paid for.
God only knows.... Gee, if we're reduced to depending on God then we're screwed. Both parties have already failed us.
It is such a joke, Repubs can replace David Letterman, all late night comedy - and we can watch all those repubs leaving their chamber, all grim faced....except for Cantor, he was smiling (or smirking) all the way down the hall repeating the answer to each reporters question - 'no' - what is wrong with this man?
How can the President deal with these Republicans, and they cannot even accept their own plan B?
They don't know how to compromise at all, it is all about them...most of the Americans have agreed to spending cuts and to raising the tax on the top 2% - and Pres Obama was voted in after running on that platform.