News stories indicate that House Democrats are holding out against the tax compromise negotiated by the Obama administration:
House Democrats voted Thursday to reject President Barack Obama’s tax deal with Republicans in its current form, but it was unclear how significantly the package might need to be changed.
By voice vote in a closed caucus meeting, Democrats passed a resolution saying the tax package should not come to the House floor for consideration as written, even though no formal House bill has been drafted. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., introduced the resolution.
Said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas: “If it’s take it or leave it, we’ll leave it.”
Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., said “it’s a pretty clear message. We don’t like the bill.”
The vote will at least temporarily stall what had seemed to be a grudging Democratic movement toward the tax package.
Meantime, while the Democrats remain irate, it is becoming increasingly clear that America’s voters approve of the compromise and want it to be carried out. Scott Rasmussen finds that 56 percent of likely voters favor the agreement, with only 29 percent opposed. 70% of Republicans like the deal; the Dems are more nearly divided, with 48 percent approving of the compromise and 38 percent disapproving.
In the end, I am pretty sure the Democratic opposition will be overcome and the compromise will be implemented. If not, what a public relations bonanza for the Republican Party!
Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.