House Republicans balk at cliff deal
U.S. House Republicans emerged from a lengthy caucus meeting this afternoon declaring their opposition to the “fiscal cliff” deal that hastily passed the Senate overnight with an 89-8 vote. After hearing a festivus-style airing of grievances against the deal — struck by Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — House leaders are still trying to figure out what to do with it. Many Republicans want to amend it to include more spending cuts.
Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, said: “The lack of spending cuts in the Senate bill was a universal concern amongst members in today’s meeting. Conversations with members will continue throughout the afternoon on the path forward.”
Lawrenceville Republican Rep. Rob Woodall was walking the halls clutching a report from the Congressional Budget Office that illustrated members’ concerns. According to the nonpartisan CBO, the deal would add $3.97 trillion to budget deficits in the next decade as compared with current law. Current law, of course, includes big tax hikes and spending cuts that lawmakers say they do not want. And the vast majority of that deficit impact ($3.63 trillion) comes in the form of tax cuts that Republicans generally like.
But Republicans want cuts from other programs to offset the impact of the spending provisions, which include extending long-term unemployment, maintaining Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors and putting off the across-the-board “sequester” cuts for two months.
Coweta County Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland said he was surprised at how overwhelming the Senate vote was and that he could not support the bill unless it’s changed.
“That was kind of a shock to us that they didn’t stand for some spending cuts, so we’re dealing with that right now,” he said.
Woodall added, “I don’t think there’s anyone in the seventh district of Georgia who wants me to trade away good policy for America in the name of expediency because the Senate has run us up against this deadline.”
House Democrats did not share those misgivings, for the most part, after being wooed by Biden. Atlanta Democratic Rep. David Scott — who like the vice president also spent his childhood in Scranton, Pa. — said Biden “has his own way of presenting things and did a great job.” Scott said he was backing the deal.
“We’ve got the kind of deal that Americans can be proud of because there is a very, very serious hunger among the American people to see Democrats and Republicans come together on something,” he said. “And we’ve got something here.”
For House Republicans looking to tweak the bill and send it back, the Senate is in session but not all senators are in town. Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson slept from 2:45 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., then caught a flight back to Atlanta. Calling from his Cobb County home, where he was preparing to watch the Georgia Bulldogs in the Capital One Bowl, Isakson said it was not hard for him to support the deal, which both he and Georgia Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss voted for.
“The net effect of that vote was a $3.7 trillion reduction in taxes for 99 percent of American taxpayers,” Isakson said.
“There was a lot in it for everybody but the main thing that’s been missed by most of the media … these are all permanent changes. Congress would have to pass an act to change the taxes put in place.”
He had not spoken to his House GOP colleagues, but predicted that they would like it, too.
“They’ll have a lot more time to absorb the final deal than we did and I think as they absorb it they will recognize the value,” Isakson said.
That prediction has not come true so far.
- By Daniel Malloy, Political Insider
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126 comments Add your comment
td
January 1st, 2013
6:27 pm
Subtitle B—Other Health Extensions
Sec. 621. Extension of the qualifying individual (QI) program.
Sec. 622. Extension of Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA).
Sec. 623. Extension of Medicaid and CHIP Express Lane option.
Sec. 624. Extension of family-to-family health information centers.
Sec. 625. Extension of Special Diabetes Program for Type I diabetes and for Indians.
All welfare extensions. Should all be cut.
Keep doing this GOP
January 1st, 2013
6:27 pm
Only part of the bill that is good and the reason Grover supported it.
I thought the legislation was written for the American people, not someone who was named after a Sesame Street character.
td
January 1st, 2013
6:28 pm
Subtitle C—Other Health Provisions
Sec. 631. IPPS documentation and coding adjustment for implementation of MS-DRGs.
Sec. 632. Revisions to the Medicare ESRD bundled payment system to reflect findings in the GAO report.
Sec. 633. Treatment of multiple service payment policies for therapy services.
Sec. 634. Payment for certain radiology services furnished under the Medicare hospital outpatient department prospective payment system.
Sec. 635. Adjustment of equipment utilization rate for advanced imaging services.
Sec. 636. Medicare payment of competitive prices for diabetic supplies and elimination of overpayment for diabetic supplies.
Sec. 637. Medicare payment adjustment for non-emergency ambulance transports for ESRD beneficiaries.
Sec. 638. Removing obstacles to collection of overpayments.
Sec. 639. Medicare advantage coding intensity adjustment.
Sec. 640. Elimination of all funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund.
Sec. 641. Rebasing of State DSH allotments.
Sec. 642. Repeal of CLASS program.
Sec. 643. Commission on Long-Term Care.
Sec. 644. Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan program contingency fund.
TITLE VII—EXTENSION OF AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS
Sec. 701. 1-year extension of agricultural programs.
Sec. 702. Supplemental agricultural disaster assistance.
TITLE IX—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec. 901. Strategic delivery systems.
Sec. 902. No cost of living adjustment in pay of members of congress.
TITLE X—BUDGET PROVISIONS
Subtitle A—Modifications of Sequestration
Sec. 1001. Treatment of sequester.
Sec. 1002. Amounts in applicable retirement plans may be transferred to designated Roth accounts without distribution
Rest of this spending bill.
Todd Hamilton
January 1st, 2013
6:28 pm
Saxby and Isakson you are a joke!!!! No spending cuts, lets just add to the 21 trillion deficit, You will both be primaried and you will both be out.. Establishment Republicans you are an embarrassment and a big part of the problem..
steve brown
January 1st, 2013
6:32 pm
Term limits for these masters of doing nothing but lining their own pockets. Perhaps this is the one thing most Americans can agree on. I’ll propose 6 years for the President, 5 years for a Senator and 4 years for congress. After that they can get real jobs. I feel that term limits may be the last best hope.
Allen
January 1st, 2013
6:33 pm
Having just watched the movie- Les Miserable, there is a line which applies to the frat and college room mates The Johnny and Saxby show”
” Bring him home, he is but a boy….”
It is time for Georgia to have real conservative representation.
Todd
January 1st, 2013
6:43 pm
Let me get this right? You guys are good with the gov. spending more money and it is a bad thing that the Repubs want spending cuts.
Dysfunctional Republican
January 1st, 2013
6:44 pm
Hi, I am a Dysfunctional Republican and If I can have my way Id Like to see taxes raised on all Americans.
It does not make sense to help the American People. We are republican and we’d rather support some abstract Ideology that actually work for the people..
We think you lazy 98 percent should get a job and pay your dam taxes in your freakin upside down houses that you cant sell. What? Did you think we worked for you? NO WAY BABY
We are the New Gestapo! ULTRA RIGHT WING RADICAL DYSFUNCTIONAL BABY!
Dysfunctional Republican # 2
January 1st, 2013
6:46 pm
Please Raise My Taxes…
Makemyday
January 1st, 2013
6:48 pm
These Radical Tea Party folks–WERE elected by their voters in their Districts back home. They are representing the will of those folks. Wish the Senate had a bunch of them!! When Obama leaves office in 4 years this country will be worse than Greece but he will speed off with his Pension, Medical Insurance and Tax Paid Bodyguards for the rest of his life and he is not the only one, there are some in the Senate and House as well. Pure Politics at its worse. NO ACCOUNTABILITY!! But this is what some folks wanted. So be it.
Steven Dickey
January 1st, 2013
6:49 pm
Why do you want to bring America down so bad when we have problems that need to be worked on now. Work with America not agains it. Let’s work together and get America back on it’s feet. Be real men and women, stand up and be Republicans not pupets of the tea party or change your name to teapublicans. Please do not throw us back to a recession, the economy is still weak.
Kris
January 1st, 2013
6:51 pm
Congress and The GOP smile bags , “Bonehead” is a national embarrassment. And disgrace to the American people.
God bless President Obama.
1. Guzzle it down
2. Avoid Eat Fatty Foods
3. Drink plenty Carbonated Drinks
Raise your head, look as your political career comes to a sudden stop…usually when you fall off a cliff.
@ Todd “Saxby and Isakson you are a joke!!!!” Well Said!
Liberal Pariah
January 1st, 2013
6:52 pm
For 8 years Liberals have told us the Bush tax cuts are responsible for everything bad that’s ever happened since the beginning of time. Now it is a hill the President and the Dems are willing to die on. What changed? No spending cuts equal no solution to the problem. Go ‘obstructionists’!!!!
Lori B.
January 1st, 2013
6:53 pm
I hate both sides! A budge is a budget!! If you dont have any money for a war, then you dont get one. If you dont have the money for 45.8 million people — almost 15% of the country to be on food stamps, then everyone doesn’t get food stamps! If you dont have the money for international aid, then you dont get to send it!!! This is NOT hard to do!!!
catlady
January 1st, 2013
6:53 pm
“Amongst?!” Who says “amongst?”
Dysfunctional Republican # 2
January 1st, 2013
6:55 pm
I have 4 children. I make 16.00 hr. My house was once worth 225k its now worth 75k. I was wondering if you brother republicans could vote to raise my taxes, in the name of your ideology….
I would be happy to support your 900.00 raise if you would jack my taxes up.
Atlanta native
January 1st, 2013
6:56 pm
Obama is a pathological liar. He said” we can make sure that we cut 2.5 dollars for every dollar of increased revenue,” Now his offer is $1 in cuts for every $41 in revenue…. Insanity…Bring on this cliff….let the moochers go the way of the Eastern Airline workers…”Better to die one glorious death than a thousand small ones” General Patton … The idiots are cheering him on while he pockets all that evil money (800% increase in wealth he has amassed in 4 years screwing this country). The idiots are cheering him on while rides them into the ground. Nobody is ENTITLED to anything as an American, You have the Constitiution and Bill of Rights as your ENTITLEMENT and the rest is on the labors of your sweat and your own decisions. You are not entitled by the Bill of Rights or Consitituion for the stupid mistakes or poor money mgmt skills you employ and thus other Americans (tax payers) are not required to provide for your existence… Simple enought concept but Obama have increased people’s dependance for their existence upon a check from the Gov’t supplied by those hard workers who made the right decisions and do not deserve to have their wealth redistributed….Socialism is his game plan….All the political angst and moral melodrama about getting “the rich” to pay “their fair share” is part of a big charade. This is not about economics, it is about politics. Taxing “the rich” will produce a drop in the bucket when compared to the staggering and unprecedented deficits of the Obama administration. Yet political and media discussions of the financial crisis have been focused overwhelmingly on how to get more tax revenue to pay for past and future spending. The very catchwords and phrases used by the Obama administration betray how phony this all is. For example, “We are just asking the rich to pay a little more.” In England for the 2009-10 tax year, more than 16,000 people declared an annual income of more than £1 million to HM Revenue and Customs. This number fell to just 6,000 after Gordon Brown introduced the new 50p top rate of income tax shortly before the last general election. The figures show AGAIN that increasing the highest rate of tax actually led to a loss in revenues for the Government. It is believed that rich Britons moved abroad or took steps to avoid paying the new levy by reducing their taxable incomes. That will happen here and you can be sure that the bloodsuckers will still demand to live a life of entitlement, so ALL taxpayers..you are next on Obama’s hit list.
skeeter
January 1st, 2013
6:58 pm
http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/American%20Taxpayer%20Relief%20Act.pdf
here is your link td
Old timer
January 1st, 2013
7:01 pm
I am very disappointed with the GA senators. We do not need MORE spending……we have a spending addiction. I also do not like bills passed in the middle of the night thqt no one has read.
Old timer
January 1st, 2013
7:02 pm
In my house we live within our means and save money.
honested
January 1st, 2013
7:02 pm
House gop, like the image of a person slowly floating away on an iceberg.
The world will begin to improve when they are completely gone.
honested
January 1st, 2013
7:04 pm
old timer,
Yes, we need to cut MIC spending in half immediately!
Unless we downsize the military to reflect what is really needed, we will be broke forever!
Old timer
January 1st, 2013
7:10 pm
And many smart well educated people are members of the Tea Party
I Amongst us!
January 1st, 2013
7:10 pm
The republicans are so obstructionist that they will over throw the government in the name of some abstract ideology that is not shared by the majority of the people
Here is a chance to keep taxes down (their suppose battle cry), on 98% of the people. And then fight for budget items when the debt ceiling issue is raise. That seem to be the logical and practical thing to do given the set of circumstances, that is if you are true to your principles.
Todd Saxby and Isakson are right. You radicals are pushing the republicans into a disgrace for position. At some point you may realize that you don’t run the country…
Angry White Male – vs,- God Women, African Americans, Hispanics, Asian and l. …. Heck even my dog and cat.
skeeter
January 1st, 2013
7:11 pm
Atlanta native feeling better now? How very typical that you repukes want to denigrate anyone that disagrees with or votes different from you
Were you born a racist or simply evolve into one?? You idiots continue to call those that voted against your two LOSERS the last 2 elections blood suckers and welfare trash. You obviously have no clue about who makes up those on welfare. I have no desire nor will I waste one more moment on trying to educate another buffoon that thinks he knows everything. I know this- you lost again. You will continue to lose. You as usual have no concern for the poor; the working man; the elderly; nor the least of these. You are a typical greedy useless repuke who rails against any kind of help for the needy but will always vote for more tax cuts for the wealthy and for giving cash subsidies to big business, the oil industry, the military industrial complex and millionaire farm owners.
Real Athens
January 1st, 2013
7:13 pm
“And where is your link to the article you are quoting?”
Read the third paragraph (above) of Galloway’s blog post you’re commenting on, fool.
Sheesh.
Old timer
January 1st, 2013
7:17 pm
By the way, can either of you guys help me with a foreclosure attorney? My House is also upside down from all the sub prime bank loans under George W Bush.
Please lower my taxes 1st then next we will balance the books and reign in spending, can we become dysfunctional and idiotic after I save my house from foreclosure? Can we get one thing done 1st before moving on to something else?
Why are people calling this a “do little congress”?
Real Athens
January 1st, 2013
7:18 pm
“The figures show AGAIN that increasing the highest rate of tax actually led to a loss in revenues for the Government.”
Actually, you should study American History. This ain’t the “Great Empire.”
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/sep/22/barack-obama/barack-obama-says-taxes-are-lower-today-under-reag/
Wisdom
January 1st, 2013
7:19 pm
God is on the side of the poor…. Always.
tell the truth
January 1st, 2013
7:19 pm
td having trouble reading that graph I sent you td?? pretty simple to read actually
PR
January 1st, 2013
7:20 pm
Once again republicans show they don’t care about the poor, needy and unemployed. They only care about the rich who line their pockets with gold. Republicans are a-holes.
Tea Party
January 1st, 2013
7:22 pm
A dark mind.
Morality?
January 1st, 2013
7:22 pm
Fiscal Cliff is just what the Dems deserve………. let’s go!
Dum-Bass
January 1st, 2013
7:24 pm
It’s time for the House Repubs to send a message to Mr. “Hotdog” President and Senate members like Hairy Reed and Nancy Peelooser. They don’t run the world and don’t have total control of our government. Let’s go ahead and vote this one down, if no spending cuts are added, and go over the cliff and get it over with. Maybe it will teach a few people(mainly those who re-elected the STOOGE) a lesson in what happens when you walk around in a fog and don’t know what it really going on. It never ceases to amaze me how many apathetic, gullible and naive people there are in the country!
Morality?
January 1st, 2013
7:24 pm
Big Gub’ment big spending SOCIALISTS social programs over a period of many decades is 85% of the problem – mostly promoted by big gub’ment Dems….. let them take the dive – cliff ahead!
tell the truth
January 1st, 2013
7:25 pm
to the cliff repukes- to the cliff
tell the truth
January 1st, 2013
7:27 pm
Dum-Bass that would be you that is the poster boy for those
apathetic, gullible and naive people that vote repuke
Pamela
January 1st, 2013
7:28 pm
Get rid of every GOP that is willing to allow this great country to go into a depression or fiscal cliff again!!! Enough is a enough. Vote those jokers out during the next election. They have demonstrated that they do not care about the people!
Angry White Male
January 1st, 2013
7:28 pm
My wife and My 8 children All took the day off work to vote against Obama. We tried to vote as often as we could but that black police man stopped us the 4th time.
Now That did not work and that Obama rascal is still in office. So what is plan B? Yall white brothers drop by my office at the McDonald’s off exit 2 in Forsyth County hwy 85. I know how to get that varmint out of office. I got the plan B.
Morality?
January 1st, 2013
7:29 pm
People are primarily unemployed because this economy, in all reality, is still in a deep recession. Obama ain’t got no plan to save the economy…… he’s a PARTY LOYALIST 1st and “G D America”…. as his famous Rev’Runt Rat said.
Angry White Male
January 1st, 2013
7:32 pm
And yall wonder why we cling to our guns and bibles… We dont read it, its to stop the bullets when we do one of our mass murders
123
January 1st, 2013
7:33 pm
td the little dudete
you had your @ss handed to you last night o the Bookman blog
123
January 1st, 2013
7:34 pm
Morality
You are consistent that must be said. A consistent myopic little b, but consistent.
honested
January 1st, 2013
7:35 pm
Another day,
Another republican obstructionist loss,
Another pathetic excuse about how it’s the voter’s fault.
Angry White Male # 2
January 1st, 2013
7:35 pm
“The net effect of that vote was a $3.7 trillion reduction in taxes for 99 percent of American taxpayers,”
early to bed
January 1st, 2013
7:37 pm
uh you don’t think it has anything to do with the billions of dollars of cash big business is sitting on on the sidelines, while not retooling, or reinvesting in equipment and new hires?? Perhaps big business could show some leadership and belief in America and begin to reinvest in America? I know that is such crazy idea to think that big business could actually give back some to the country that keeps them in business.
td
January 1st, 2013
7:38 pm
123
January 1st, 2013
7:33 pm
td the little dudete
you had your @ss handed to you last night o the Bookman blog
Only in your wet dreams loser.
Patti Leach
January 1st, 2013
7:40 pm
We need unemployment benefits renewed!
123
January 1st, 2013
7:41 pm
td was smoked
He may as well been fellating the other bloggers
He looked so shallow and weak.
td
January 1st, 2013
7:42 pm
Net result is a $4 trillion increase in spending over the next 10 years. This is nothing but another excuse for the Dems to spend more money.