The House of Representatives has rejected Senate legislation passed last week to extend a payroll tax cut for two months. On a vote of 229 to 193, the House set aside the Senate bill and requested a conference with the Senate, establishing a confrontation with the Democrat-controlled Senate.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has stated he does not intend to have a conference and that his Members have left for the year. Oh, My! If there is not further action, payroll taxes will revert to the 2010 levels.
Here is the interesting part. Democrats have pushed for the full-year payroll tax cut for months say Congress should accept the temporary measure now and return in January to solve an impasse over how to extend the cut for the full year. Interesting, as it appears that Senator Reid does not really want to accomplish his goal of getting a year extension. Who would have thought? Why try to get something done when you can blame the other side for doing what you say you want but do not really want. Sounds convoluted to me.
There is more, good stuff here. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) charged that “the extreme tea party element of the Republicans in the House” was blocking an extension of the payroll tax cut….” “They alone are standing in the way of a tax cut for the middle class,” she bellowed on the House floor.
This is interesting as it shows that the mind set of the liberals is to blame the tea party for everything. Paper does not come in the morning, blame the tea party. Traffic snarl on the Key Bridge, blame the tea party. National debt, hits S 15 billion, blame the tea party. Oh no, not that one.
It seems to me Ms. Pelosi also does not understand this is not a tax cut. If enacted, no one gets any more money in their pocket. It is a mere continuation of the law as it stands now. If not extended, it would be a tax increase from current law but it is not a tax cut from where we are now. At least, she could get the nomenclature right.
It will be quite intriguing to see how this all plays out. Will Bull Head Harry prevail? Will the Republicans blink? It seems like two trains are heading for each other on the same track and the wreckage will damage both engines, derail the economy and further damage the public's confidence in its' leaders. Of course, the President is leading from the campaign trail.