Boehner Extends Offer on Fiscal Cliff

Republican leader wants to make a deal, but will Democrats bite?

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said he would be willing to compromise with newly re-elected President Barack Obama on raising new federal revenue, so long as they were under the "right conditions" Reuters reports. Those conditions: overhauling entitlements, a tax code reform aimed at closing tax loopholes, lowering deductions, and lowering tax rates for all Americans.

Democratic leaders, according to the New York Times, say those conditions are unacceptable: any reform lowering tax rates across the board would either unfairly cut tax deductions, or fail to raise enough money to reduce the deficit. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said raising taxes on the rich must be a part of the deal.

But both chambers of Congress, the New York Times reports, signaled the desire to make a deal to avert the worst of the fiscal cliff.

This is Boehner's first offer on the looming fiscal cliff crisis, where billions of dollars in tax increases and spending cuts are forced into effect, after Tuesday's election where little changed in the balance of power.

Via the New York Times

Do Boehner's conditions sound reasonable?

[David944]

Dear leader won’t deal a strong working America would not accept socialism completely; his power comes from doling out goodies. Obama and his kind have been working for this moment for a long time.

[MBernard]

Boehner needs to slow down telling our reelected president what deals he'd make. He needs to go sit down & wait for the president to tell him what deal the American ppl & the president will make with him.

[David944]

@MBernard Dear leader has never led a discussion he only expect submission.

[Tralee]

@MBernard See, this is the problem, same one Obama had 4 years ago. The attitude that "I WON" is why nothing bipartisan got done. Obama didn't need the other side with his Dem. Senate and House for 2 years. Your attitude is what communism is all about. The Dictator in Chief with, BTW only half of America on his side, tells the opposition what they will do, no compromise, no working together to reach a common goal, just dictates. MBernard, he did not receive a mandate to do whatever he wants, he got 50% of the country to vote for him by either lying to them or lying to them and giving them a bribe. Your attitude is pretty much what one expects from the left and frankly it's pretty scary to hear in a country that is a democracy, this isn't Cuba you know. No compromise, ever. That worked real well last time, right? See, in America, in a democracy, we ALL get a voice, not just half of us and the president is supposed to be president of ALL of us, not just a select section.

[Fishbone345]

@MBernard Boehner is part of a branch of our Government that is the equal to the Executive branch. He isn't a an underling, he's a peer.
What you said only adds fuel to the fire. What we need is Bi-partisan Government solving problems.
They don't need to take the first deal offered, but you have to sit down and hammer out details or everyone loses.

[tomincali]

@MBernard thats right and the o will go against the constitution of the United States to get his way.

[David944]

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/11/a...

[TenFeet2Hands]

No, he is posturing. If he were serious he would not insist on keeping the tax increase on the 1% off the table. An increase to 39% is not much for the 1%, when your gross adjusted income is less than 50k, 39% is visibly a burden. Boehner is not thinking for himself, he loves the position of Speaker, Cantor and McConnell are the bugs in his ear holding his feet in cement re taxing the 1%.

[David944]

Dear leader must keep the tax loopholes to reward his cronies. This means keeping rates the same while closing loopholes to raise revenue just won’t work. Dear leader need complete submission to finally kill freedom for ever. You have given yourself to animal now live with it.

[TenFeet2Hands]

@David944 ??????????

[David944]

@TenFeet2Hands
You have elected to become part of the collective, where what ever is good for the whole goes. Forget about individual freedoms and fall in line. The elite ruling class will throw you a bone after they get their share maybe leave a bit of fat for you. Good luck it’s a brave new world.

[Tralee]

Um and you know that an increase to 39% is no big deal for, and it's not the 1%, those who make $250,000 and up, how? It certainly will be a big deal in our house, we don't make millions of dollars a year. What on earth are you talking about with the $50K crowd? Their marginal tax rate is 18% and will in no way be affected by a tax increase on the top earners, those making over $250,000 ($200,000 if single) a year. Your post shows your lack of real information.

[TenFeet2Hands]

@Tralee___ Only those making an adjusted gross of $251k is POTUS 44's target low,$250,000 is not in the margin for an increase. How long have you been reading tax forms, the dollar limits are always set at the next $ not the zero! " when your gross adjusted income is less than ***50k, 39% is visibly a burden." Read what I said again without your angry righteous indignation and it will make sense. Casting personal aspersions against people you do not know is telling, and not at all pretty.

[bsking]

sure but they were reasonable for the last 4 years. Obama doesn't want to have a solution to this problem. Harry Reid said yesterday went to raise the debt ceiling to 20,000,000,000,000. by the time these clowns are done if we survive will be around 35,000,000,000,000

contrast that with b Hussain 's lies about Romney plan to add trillions of dollars that he said during the debates. and already 1 day after the election Obama's crew of idiots raise it 3 more 1,000,000,000,000.

the house has to hold its ground and make Obama negotiate. it's his responsibility. and this time when the Democrats threaten to shut down the government, shut it down. let the takers feel some of the pain

[David944]

The problem is the majority moochers will blame everything on Bush and the republicans.

[bsking]

@David944 well the "moochers"(your word)..will always blame someone,its a dificiency they suffer in their intelect,like obama. we cant help that. the only thing they understand is "pleasure" or "pain".

[David944]

@bsking But now they are the majority and they vote.

[Lpguy]

We should not be sending more money to Washington for them to further squander. The issue of revenue is not the problem, the problem is the over spending in the first place. Our issues absolutely cannot be solved by raising/lowering taxes and adjusting deductions. Compromise talk is what they throw to the rabble to keep them waiting

[Kajai]

They bettter figure out how to work with the president or next election will be more of the same for the republican party. America spoke loud n clear Tuesday.

[Zoe2012]

It appears that half the country does not agree with you and never will. Let the investigation of Libya begin and impeach both Obama and Biden!

[Kajai]

@Zoe2012
Oops I wouldn't vote u up.
But I would reply so.
As long as the republican party keeps that attitude the will continue to lose on election day.
It's about working together as Americans

[Zoe2012]

@Kajai
" Oops I wouldn't vote u up."

Did you commit voter fraud?

[Kajai]

@Zoe2012 lol. I did.

[Zoe2012]

Speed up the investigation on Obama and Biden in Libya, impeach them and Boehner doesn't have to deal with them at all. Long shot but this is what I would prefer.

[David944]

Without a majority in the senate impeachment will be next to impossible. Look how fast and furious was swept under the rug even after an extensive hearings. Dear leader is above the law get used to it.

[Zoe2012]

@David944 Wishful thinking? Miracle?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Boehner is soft. We're all doomed. I suggest learning Chinese.

[Zoe2012]

彈劾奧巴馬

[MRMacrum]

Since this Chinese thing worries you so much, maybe you should just get it over with and emigrate. You might just beat the rush.

[artjeb]

@MRMacrum MIGHT beat the rush.
HA HA HA thats a good way of saying
GET OUT

[Cheenoguy]

Something tells me those loopholes will be ones that benefit the middle class but not so much for the rich. Not only will the Republican plan lower the rate for the rich it will effectively raise the rates on the middle class

We need to cut spending AND increase revenue. The cuts can't really come from the poor because a starving poor will have a much more negative effect. We can't raise taxes on the poor for the same reasons. The pain will have to be bore by the middle class on up and will have to be progressive. Whether you want to blame the wealthy or the goverment that allowed it but the uber rich have not only not been hurt by the recession they have benefitted. They built their wealth on the backs of the poor and middle class. It's high time they give something back to them. I'm not saying have them pay it all but they can give a lot more without suffering.
We also don't have to cut/raise taxes enough to eliminate the debt tomorrow. We need a budget where revenue covers spending, debt interest, and something towards the principle of the debt.
Being on the accusations of class warfare. The wealthy have abused everyone else since man started accumulating wealth. The poor have tried to spread the wealth enough that their hard with is rewarded with life covering expenses since then too. Now we just happen to have a few of us in the middle sticking up for the poor as well. Republicans believe in wealth redistribution as well. You just want to take from the poor/middle to give to the rich.

[Dallas39]

Great to see a post from an individual who knows what he is talking about, instead of the usual Republican fabrications.

[1hardcorerepub]

who are you to say what is too much money? You are not God, if you believe in that sort of thing, you don't pay any of their bills or sign any of their pay checks. Every time you fill your car up with gas. Every time you buy groceries. Every time you pick up your cell phone to text or make a call, you are putting money in someone elses pocket.

I'd much rather have the freedom of choice, like in health care, or who I do business with or who I want to give money too or who I want to employ versus being told this is what I have to do. What you are suggesting is dangerously close to a communist state.

[Cheenoguy]

@1hardcorerepub
I'm not god, but neither is anyone or anything else. He's a figment of your imagination.(Kinda like your love life.)

Health care for profit is evil. No one should live or die based on ability to pay.

Communist states have everyone being equal. I just want those who earned their wealth on the backs of minimum wage workers to give something back to those who made them rich. If they can't pay a living wage then let them pay for their employees food stamps.

[1hardcorerepub]

@Cheenoguy They already pay for their food stamps. It is called taxes.

[Cheenoguy]

@1hardcorerepub
Yes and that is why they will need to pay more (along with us in the middle class) to pay off the debt so we can continue to have food stamps for the corporate slaves, I mean employees.

[MRMacrum]

No. If we want to dig ourselves out the hole we created for ourselves, I see no alternative than to work on the problem from both ends. Increased taxes and budget cuts. It's that simple for me. Cutting taxes is stupid. We need to raise them at least a little. That somehow investment or jobs would be lost is worrying about something that has not happened. All I know is that instead of boosting the economy, the Bush Tax cuts seemed to have no effect. Big business was and is still shipping jobs overseas and that means those tax cuts probably helped China, Mexico, etc more than the US. I also feel that unearned income and passive income (Capital Gains) should be taxed at the very least at the same rate as earned income.

[idlbeokay_bob]

Now that the repubs. failed in their quest for a one term president Obama they need to get off their dead azz and get something done.

[donttaxmedude]

Boehner is thinking about the next election, he knows Hillary Clinton is going to run and that will be eight more years this country will have a dem in the white house. He also knows that monorities swung the dems way and they got organized. If Republicans do not work with O'bama it is election carnage for republicans every two years for twelve years. There is room to move on both side but neither side wants to it. we need to help the poor and middle class, we also need jobs. We also need to monitor the programs we have in house now to help the poor and middle class, there is too much fraud but neither side does anything about that. Why in the heck can't they make a common sense gun for chrst sake assault weapons in the neighborhoodsc'mon that souns like a bunch odf cowards afraid to do the right thing. There is no common sense anymor democratic or republican, all there is is fighting. The tax code now throw it away, simplify it all the money they spend on that mess would sove a lot of prolems. I do not need any more taxes however I would rather see something like a fast food tax. It is time for common sense not pet projects, make lobbying illegal and stop the election bribery.

[artjeb]

SORRY to disagree about HILLARY because she has already said she would NOT run in 1016.
She is tired of running now as sec of state
she wants to stay at home{hopefly}

[cloreen]

@artjeb
Every candidate says they aren't going to run until they actually run, so whatever Hillary says now doesn't mean anything.

[GetAwake]

So, hey...pretty much the same story as last time. Awesome. It's like the motions of moving 'Forward', but in-place on a treadmill. Way to go, America.

[ctc]

Bush tax cuts were pure and simple......handouts to the rich.
Time to do to the top 5% what has already been done to the middle class.....push 'em over the fiscal cliff. Not saying a tax increase on the rich is a cure all, but it's a damn good place to start.

[gammler]

I would think so.

[SmedleyButler]

And he hired the best Harvard economist to put the plan together. The same ones that got us into this mess. None of these idiots have a plan. Amazing kids are in a lifetime of debt to be taught by idiots.

[Patrn44]

If Obama is smart, he'll listen. He's been dragging our country to hell in a handcart for 4 years, unwilling to listen to ANYONE, or extend a hand to those who disagree, and to even step beyond his presidential authority. Plus, he lies -- though most politicians do, it's hardly relevant! Anyway, if we don't want to be lemmings and watch the country fly over the cliff that Europe if flying over -- he needs to listen!

[David944]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/07/us-... Its a brave new world

[Tralee]

Of course but the chance that Obama will change colors and actually try to work with the other side are slim to none. He will be Obama, he is fundamentally unable to compromise and take direction from anyone. Nope, it will be more of the same and he will continue to blame whoever or whatever for his continued failures. All those who voted for him, the takers of America, will have an eyeopener when they find out that their free lunch is unsustainable, even if Obama takes 100% of all the "Rich" earn (Those nasty, how dare they be successful and have more than you do.)$250,000 and up a year. But, you voted for him, you have to live with that decision for the rest of your life.

[cloreen]

What's going to happen is exactly what Patty Murray wants to happen. Sequestration will be triggered, republicans will be freed from their ridiculous tax pledge, and taxes will end up being raised and programs/defense modestly cut. Republicans want that, too. They just can't say so.

[MRMacrum]

I do hope you are right.

[cloreen]

@MRMacrum
It's by far the best deal that can be made for both sides. And the only reason they squawk about it now like it's some kind of doomsday is to score political points against the other side and make their constituents believe they're working hard to avert this. And it'll go on through the end of the year.