House and Senate negotiators took the easy way out Friday, cutting a deal that extends payroll tax cuts for only two months.
Democrats, eager for a deal and wanting to go home for Christmas gave in to Republican demands on an oil pipeline project .
While it extends the tax cuts and helps unemployed Americans in the short term, it falls far short of hopes for a one-year extension of the tax relief and long-term unemployed benefits to boost.
The hasty compromise leaves many on Capitol Hill disappointed and won’t offset growing dissatisfaction among American voters who see the government as ineffective and divided by politics.
“We blinked and took the easy way out,” a tired Democratic aide told Capitol Hill Blue.
Democrats caved in to most GOP demands.
“At one minute to midnight and the end of the year the Democrats appear to have conceded two significant issues on the payroll tax cut and they got a measly two months extension in return,” David Gergen, an adviser to two former Democratic and two Republican presidents, told Reuters news service.
Democrats baked off from demands to pay for the tax cut with a surtax on millionaires. They also abandoned what earlier claimed would be a non-negotiable demand that the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas to be kept separate from the payroll tax cut issue.
That measure requires Obama to make a decision on allowing construction of Keystone within 60 days or declare that “oil trade with Canada is not in the national interest of the United States.”
The fight resumes next year.
7 thoughts on “Democrats back down on pipeline, agree to tax cut deal”
“We blinked and took the easy way out,” a tired Democratic aide told Capitol Hill Blue.” …extract from article
Yeah right…! These shufflebutt crimpols on both sides of the aisle have been taking the “easy way out” for the past twenty plus years. It’s all about them, their holidays, percs and an endless supply of campaign ‘grease’ courtesy of corporate America while “We the People” and our nation’s wellbeing comes last. Fie on them all!
Our Congress represents the worst of humanity, all to our collective hazard…believe it! X-(
Carl Nemo **==
Indeed.
But, exactly WHO is the “we”?
Here’s one monetary professional’s candid answer. It’s well worth the read:
https://www.dallasfed.org/news/speeches/fisher/2011/fs111216.cfm
Would someone please tell me what approval of a pipeline has to do with the extension of a payroll tax?
All politics in the wonderful world of Quid Pro Quo.
Obama is in a win situation in this as that pipeline will be union job friendly. Republicans can also take a bow. Ain’t it grand! I feel all warm on fuzzy over this political detente. Yes – I did have my sarcasm muffin for breakfast.
Nothing Keith, but these modern age bills turn into a collage of amendment add-on’s that have nothing to do with the focus of the main bill. Many if not most of these add-ons haven’t been discussed in committee, but simply jammed into allegedly “must pass” legislation thus allowing onerous mutations to which the original bill was intended.
The same thing happened with SB1867 (The National Defense Authorization Act) where McCain and Levin created an amendment to give the military authority to police America if ordered to do so, rounding up targeted citizens as ‘enemies of the state’ keeping them locked down indefinitely without charges filed or rights to counsel until Congress declares an end to the war on terror which is the 12th of never. Allegedly the White House said President Obama will veto the bill if it reaches his desk with these amendments. It also proves that Congressional traitors operate in a bi-partisan fashion in our times.
https://www.chaddsfordlive.com/article/Editorial_Opinion/Editorial/Impeach_the_Senate/112485
It happens all the time where amendments are slapped on to an omnibus bill turning it into a caricature of what it was intended. Rather than having Presidents with some balls vetoing such garbage legislation they passively or intentionally sign off thus slapping another nail in Lady Liberty’s coffin or simply laying on more endless, ill-thought debt upon our citizens.
In all honesty our system of government, the Congress, Executive and SCOTUS have turned into a bunch of ‘evil clowns’ ruling over a now devolved “Idiocracy” once the United States of America.
As I’ve said in other articles we’re in the sweephand mode to the midnight of our national destruction. Believe it!
Carl Nemo **==
That building the pipeline could even be debated is like living in Oz…
So we don’t build a pipeline direct from a friendly neighbor but continue to rely on supply from other nations that have us over the old oil barrel?
During WWII a similar project took place called “The Big Ditch.” Smart move to go forward with this project.
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