Setting up a bitter fight in the Senate that could last well into the Christmas holiday, Republicans may have very well handed Democrats, specifically the President, an effective counter-narrative to run on in 2012.
However, the political implications are too early to determine as competing proposals for a broad payroll tax cut plan were swiftly rejected this week by a caustic Senate chamber.
The legislative and policy elements of the legislation obscure the pure political messaging. But, there are two stories: one buried in the percentages and complex math of the tax code and the other which sheds light on the ideological fault lines creating gridlock in Congress these days.
Felicia Sonmez in The Washington Post tries to explain it and ends up spending way too much time on Capitol Hill:
The Democratic measure, which would cut the 6.2 percent payroll tax in half next year, was blocked on a 50 to 48 vote; 60 votes were necessary for the bill to proceed. It would have imposed a new surtax on the wealthy.
The dueling Republican proposal would have ensured the payroll tax rate, set at 4.2 percent for the last year to give workers a boost in the tough economy, would not revert to 6.2 percent in January.
Huh?
Kellie Lunney’s explanation in Government Executive is a bit clearer:
The measure, which would have extended the payroll tax holiday in part by prolonging the federal salary freeze for civilian workers, was defeated in a 22-76 vote Thursday. The legislation would have instituted a five-year pay freeze on feds and replaced every three workers who leave government service with one employee. The bill failed to pass last week in a 20-78 vote.
In addition, the Senate again rejected legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., that would have paid for the tax cut extension by levying a tax on individuals with incomes exceeding $1 million. The bill, which needed 60 votes to proceed, failed on a 50-48 vote. Last week, a similar bill offered by Casey also failed to garner the 60 votes necessary for passage.
I think they are only proposing tax cuts in order to sound more “republican.” If they were serious they wouldn’t have been so against them for so many years, until right now just before the ’12 electins and just after getting stomped in ’10. Get real, these hypocrites are amazing.
All hypocrites, all the time. WElcome to election time in America!