Morning with the House of Representatives…

“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”

– Mark Twain

I’m having a morning of amusing television watching the House of Representatives on C-Span debate the extension of the Bush Tax Cuts. Well, right now they are debating the rules by which they will debate the subject (which is funny enough in and of itself).

The Democrats are pushing to extend the cuts to 98% of Americans who earn less than $250,000 a year while restoring the taxes on Millionaires and Billionaires. Republicans are threatening a standoff… either give tax cuts to everyone, including the wealthy, or have the vote held up and watch it die in the Senate.

The republicans are, essentially, wasting as much time as possible with the goal of getting into the next Congress and passing  return to the Bush tax cuts as a return legislative move.

Of course, the thing that would work now is the Democrats in the House pushing this through and the Senate finding two Republican votes to get the filibuster-ending 60 votes which would pass the legislation before everyone trots home for Christmas.

Is this likely to happen? Probably not. There is also the notion that the President has already agreed to a temporary extension for everyone and the wealthy would be taxed again a couple of years down the road. With change in control of the House, this would be highly unlikely…the Republicans, supporting the wealthy, would seek permanence of the extension.

While a fifteen minute vote on the first House rule is going on in the House, I switch to the Senate to listen to Byron Dorgan (D – North Dakota) compare the untaxed Wealthy with the middle class soldiers who get up this morning to get shot at by Afghanistanis. I don’t think anyone is listening (the Senate floor seems to be empty). I’m often curious if Senate speeches accomplish anything at all.

Back to the House where Democrats are voting for the rule and Republicans are voting against it. Surprise, surprise. Wouldn’t it be amazing if Congressfolk voted according to actual values rather than party lines?

Related Articles

• “McConnell warns of filibuster on tax bill” and related posts (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
• Republicans Hold the Power on Tax Cuts (politicalwire.com)
• Republicans threaten gridlock unless Obama extends tax cuts for wealthy. (calgaryherald.com)
• Senate Democrats and GOP In Legislative Ditch Over Tax Cuts (politics.blogs.foxnews.com)
• Tax Battle Begins with No Democratic Consensus (news.firedoglake.com)
• Americans Deeply Divided Over Tax-Cut Extensions (dailyfinance.com)
• You: Economic Scene: In Tax Cuts, the Options Run Short (nytimes.com)
• House to Vote Thursday on Tax Cuts (thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com)
• House to vote on fate of Bush-era tax cuts (msnbc.msn.com)
• Senate GOP Unanimously Pledges to Filibuster All Bills Until Dems Agree to Tax Cuts and a Budget (minx.cc)
• Do Tax Cuts Help The Economy? (seeingtheforest.com)
• Dave Johnson: Do Tax Cuts Help The Economy? (huffingtonpost.com)