It was reported earlier, updates and links in a previous post, that Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House until January when Republicans take control, has refused to allow the tax deal that Barack Obama and Republican lawmakers made come up for a vote in the House.Now Centrists and Conservative Democrats are lashing out at Pelosi and the liberal progressive faction of the Democratic party, saying the "liberal wing of the Democratic caucus" is holding "critically needed tax cuts hostage", by not allowing a vote on the tax deal even though they claim there are enough votes in the House of Representatives to pass the deal as is.
Rep. Dan Boren (Okla.), among the most conservative Democrats on Capitol Hill, said he's "extremely displeased" that the White House-GOP deal might not come to the floor as it stands.
"A clear majority of the U.S. House of Representatives supports this plan," Boren said in a statement. "We are allowing the liberal wing of the Democratic caucus to hold these critically needed tax cuts hostage."
Pelosi controls the calendar and if she does not allow the vote to come to the floor, even knowing the votes are there to pass it, then it cannot be passed through the House and if it is not passed before the end of the year then taxes for every American goes up and unemployment benefits end without extension. A 13 month extension for UI benefits is written into the tax deal Obama and Republicans negotiated.
Question: Does Pelosi really want one of her last acts as Speaker to allow tax cuts for every American to expire and allow UI benefits to end just to have the first act of the Republican controlled House of Representatives next year be to extend UI benefits and give Americans the tax cuts?
IRS has warned that providing the tax cuts and having to do it retroactively, as the Republicans would be forced to in January if Pelosi doesn't allow a vote on the deal there is already a bipartisan agreement for ,to come to the House floor, "would be extremely detrimental to the entire tax filing season and to tens of millions of taxpayers."
PS- Is it any wonder the American public fired Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House? January simply cannot come fast enough.
[Update] Senate is moving forward with tax deal, Reid proposes minor changes for McConnell and Republicans to consider indicating they were aimed at winning over enough Democratic support to overcome a filibuster.
(Correction made to title of post)
Previous:
"Tax Deal: Done Deal Despite Progressives? Not So Fast, House Dems Defy Obama"
"Liberals Want To Let Taxes Rise For Everyone And Cut Off Unemployment Benefits."
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