Pelosi will attempt to force a tax-cut vote soon
Pelosi said Friday that she will file a “discharge petition” to attempt to force the House to vote on the measure, which passed the Senate over the summer and would allow tax cuts to expire for those making more than $250,000 a year. Reid indicated in a floor speech opening the Senate’s business Tuesday that the petition will be filed today, and it was confirmed by Pelosi’s office.
The petition is used by the minority to force a floor vote when the House Speaker refuses to bring a bill forward. The mechanism is rarely used successfully — it takes 218 signatures to bring a bill forward. Even if all 192 Democrats sign on — and Reid indicated Tuesday that they will — a significant number of Republican defections would be needed.
Reid signaled Tuesday that Democrats will pressure Republicans to break ranks and support the effort.
Blowback
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But but but…I thought the minority was supposed to step in line.
Bishop on December 5, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Nancy “FrozenFace” Peelousy must be really desperate. The words ‘tax cut’ are like garlic to a vampire, or like salt water to the aliens in Alien Nation.
I’ll be watching her lips for signs of swelling.
platypus on December 5, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Just more political theater for the Dems to trot out the line that the Republicans are waging war on the middle class. No serious attempt here to come to a “balanced” approach. It is all about future messaging at this point.
rsherwd65 on December 5, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Minority rule over the objections of the Majority.
.
Yeah sounds about right these days.
LincolntheHun on December 5, 2012 at 9:54 AM
For the life of me I can’t understand why the GOP doesn’t pass this? They are going to lose this image battle. Badly.
p0s3r on December 5, 2012 at 9:55 AM
You mean a vote to extend the Bush tax rates for the middle class, which the Democrats now magically support after they spent the last 10 years opposing them?
LOL!
Good Lt on December 5, 2012 at 9:55 AM
They will eventually, but they need to execute some maneuvers first to ensure that the Democrats get credit for everything people like and the Republicans get blamed for anything that is perceived to be bad.
forest on December 5, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Exactly! Why aren’t the Republicans smart enough in their “messaging” to repeatedly point out that the middle class has been enjoying the Bush tax rates for all of the past 10 years? They weren’t a gift from the Dems.
onlineanalyst on December 5, 2012 at 10:02 AM
What’s Nannygoat gonna do–call Sandra Fluke in to filibuster about contraceptives until the GOP cries uncle and relents?
stukinIL4now on December 5, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Dems will vote lock step, the Republican’s will run around like scared sheep…
This is where the Republican’s step up and say…”All we need are 25 dems to destroy this nonsense.”
right2bright on December 5, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Do it. Bring it, and vote “present”. That will end the tax cut issue without giving Obama unlimited credit.
The Rogue Tomato on December 5, 2012 at 10:14 AM
For the life of me, I can’t understand how the Republican’s could entertain any tax increase without a spending cut…get it? This isn’t a “tax decrease” it is a tax increase on the “wealthy”.
Any “reduction” is taxes is not a “favor”, not a “gift”, it is what the order of business should be, to not continue draconian taxes.
It’s moving back to a place where the government should be, less taxes for “everyone” who pays taxes.
right2bright on December 5, 2012 at 10:18 AM
I wish I wasn’t “pushing 60″ because I’d love to be able to read an article 20-30 years from now which featured a “rogue’s gallery” of the people who brought about the demise of the U.S. (Pelosi, Reed, Obama, Boehner, ‘see, I’m “bi-partisan’, and whichever Socialist-Crony Capitalist comes next. Can you tell that I’m pretty pessimistic about how this all ends? Unfortunately my grandchildren, will not only be able to read about it, they will also be living it.
Clink on December 5, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Is such a discharge petition available in the Senate in order to force Reid’s fiefdom to vote on the assorted Republican bills festering in the bowel’s of his desk?
onlineanalyst on December 5, 2012 at 10:31 AM
It may sound bad, but one of the joys I take out of all this is knowing I will live longer than everyone on that list, regardless of the ending I will do all I can to make sure me and mine are comfortable.
Gatsu on December 5, 2012 at 10:32 AM
The US government has become so corrupt through and through that I doubt it can recover. Revolution is probably the only solution, but I don’t think that’ll happen, either. Fast and Furious, Benghazi, stealing the 2012 election, lies, lies, and more lies, and nobody does anything about it. That’s not a very revolutionary spirit.
The Rogue Tomato on December 5, 2012 at 10:42 AM
I should add to those items — NDAA, the NSA collecting email and other data about everyone in the USA, the kill list, cameras and drones spying on US citizens, and so much more. And it didn’t even start with Obama — it just got much worse under Obama.
I don’t see any way to fix this except throwing everyone out and starting over.
The Rogue Tomato on December 5, 2012 at 10:44 AM
I get so disgusted every time I read these articles just at the fact that the left has successfully redefined the language.
Continuing the tax rates that are presently in effect, and that have been in effect for the past 12 years, is not a “tax cut.” And “allowing tax cuts to expire” is called a “tax increase.”
Shump on December 5, 2012 at 11:24 AM
Will she scroom
Her broom?
Schadenfreude on December 5, 2012 at 11:30 AM