House Democrats To Push To Equalize Tax Cuts For Wealthy And Unemployment Extension [UPDATE: Resolution Not Brought To A Vote]

WASHINGTON -- House Democrats will consider a resolution Tuesday night calling for the tax deal struck between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans to be amended so that the tax cuts for the wealthy are extended for the same period of time as unemployment insurance.

[UPDATE - 8:15 p.m.: Democrats leaving the meeting told HuffPost that a decision was made not to vote on the resolution, a setback for advocates of amending the tax cut deal. Negotiations, however, were ongoing, they said.

"I think that's unsettled at this point," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said.]

Under the current bill, the unemployed would get a 13-month extension, while the wealthy would get two years worth of tax cuts. Extending unemployment insurance beyond the 13 months will be difficult with the GOP in control of the House next year.

The resolution will be put forward by Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.), according to a notice of the resolution obtained by HuffPost. "Resolved: The Democratic Caucus shall vote to consider a bill in the House where the extension date of all Bush tax cuts is equal to the extension of Unemployment Insurance Benefit," reads the start of the resolution.

The political calculation is that Republicans would be unwilling to blow up the entire package in order to assure that the unemployed get less help than the wealthiest two percent.

The resolution continues:

The Democratic Caucus shall vote to consider a bill in the House where the extension date of all Bush tax cuts is equal to the extension of Unemployment Insurance Benefit;

The House shall vote only on legislation that extends unemployment benefits for at least as long as it extends tax cuts for the wealthy; and

The Democratic Caucus opposes legislation that extends the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans for longer than it extends much-needed unemployment benefits for middle-class families.

The disparity between the length of the unemployment and tax cut extensions has been a source of concern for progressive House Democrats.

The full resolution appears below:

WuResolution

Comments

[MikeyJaii]

11:46 PM on 12/20/2010

Push for a solution to the unemployment, not any more handouts benefits. Feed them for one month and they'll come looking for more the next month. Create jobs instead.

[Barbara Kohler]

12:23 PM on 12/16/2010

The tax cuts to the elite are GUARANTEED. Unemployment insurance, no matter how long the bill "extends" it until is subject to the unemployment rate both nationally and at the state level. Just because they approve extending benefits does not mean that those benefits will be paid out that long. This bill is totally lopped-sided in favor of those who have shipped our jobs overseas and have bought and paid for their mouthpieces in DC. And we wonder why their is a jihad against us...

[F Grey Parker]

04:26 PM on 12/15/2010

First of all, the jobs creation machine collapsed nearly 10 years ago in America. Check out these figures going back all the way to Truman examining job growth per capita. It's from those known commie-progressives at The Wall Street Journal (Sarcasm):

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/01/09/bush-on-jobs-the-worst-track-record-on-record/

Second, we need nothing less than a new WPA and complete rewrite of the tax code for the largest corporations. Because, like it or not, a majority of the very largest companies pay ZERO dollars in taxes annually:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1249465620080812

[DinkSinger]

02:52 PM on 12/15/2010

Even if they do not add any extensions for the 99ers (I am one of them), they should at least extend the ARRA provision that waives the draconian Clinton/Gingrich welfare reform rule that limits SNAP benefits(they used to be called food stamps) for unemployed individuals under age 50 to three months out of any 37 month period. The ARRA provision expired on September 30, so as it stands right now many 99ers who were able to get SNAP after their unemployment benefits ran out and used them to buy food in October,, November, and December, will not be eligible to receive them again until February 2014. The law even allows states to punish the unemployed by withholding three months of SNAP benefits from their families.

[edlindaspy]

01:56 PM on 12/15/2010

Is this what our elected government wants for our citizens? Sounds like Toronto is in the same boat. They don't want a middle class. They want Rich or Poor..Guess my question is: Who will be paying for the taxes then? The poor won't have the money to do it right?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/shrinking-middle-class-makes-toronto-a-city-of-socioeconomic-extremes/article1838176/

[BabaLou7]

03:00 PM on 12/15/2010

It appears that this is part of their long-term plan to reduce the size of government and eliminate Social Security.

[changing]

01:17 PM on 12/15/2010

As I told a local politican (it worked) you only have to do one thing. Vote the right way-nothing else-time to elect a crowd who can fulfill that simple little idea.

[pyro]

12:53 PM on 12/15/2010

David Wu, OR Dem

Proud to be an Oregonion onece again. Thank you Mr. Wu!!

[Klarsonent]

12:53 PM on 12/15/2010

That's it, up there in your ivory tower worlds - spend even more money, that's the solution. NOT. The tax cuts for the wealthy need to go. Period, end of story. They did nothing to create jobs:

http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/10-epic-failures-of-the-bush-tax-cuts

[DinkSinger]

02:38 PM on 12/15/2010

The tax cuts for the wealthy do nothing to create jobs, but spending money on unemployment benefits does create jobs. In fact according to the Congressional Budget Office spending money on unemployment benefits creates more jobs than any other form of stimulus spending. For example it is estimated that the thirteen month, $57 billion unemployme­nt benefit extension already in the bill will create between 456,000 and 1,083,000 years of full time equivalent employment over the next two years. CBO estimates the same money invested in infrastruc­ture would only create between 114,000 and 228,000 years of FTE employment over the next two years.

[BabaLou7]

03:02 PM on 12/15/2010

Yes, but more jobs would be created with a WPA or CETA type program that either puts people to work on crumbling infrastructure or research to develop new products and methods that would create new economic engines.

[Klarsonent]

11:12 PM on 12/15/2010

I'm in agreement with "BabaLou7."

[Savage Saint Roger]

12:43 PM on 12/15/2010

The rich bankers are still using the suffering of the many as a negotiating tactic. Banking interests never sleep! They aren't too confused about Christmas either - keep the bank cards rolling!
No taxes, no manufacturing overhead, duty free shipping, very little retail overhead on-line -they must be in rich people hog heaven.
In fact, it would not surprise me to find a study proving that an incited people such as ours likes to shop and buy themselves little happy presents while they're out christmas shopping.

[fairwitness]

11:49 AM on 12/15/2010

"Dems Back Down".

That's (usually unspoken but essential) preamble to every headline on HuffPost.

Pathetic. Still.

[clocknova]

11:55 AM on 12/15/2010

I was just about to make this post, but you beat me to it. Thanks.

Democrats are truly disgusting.

[Oldchef]

11:02 AM on 12/15/2010

We're still not seeing any movement for the 99ers. Some of the stories shared here yesterday were so incredibly said, I was moved to tears, 60 year old woman with no family about to be thrown out on the street, etc., etc. I am ashamed that this is happening in my country. Where's the shame in the Congress?

[Oldchef]

10:59 AM on 12/15/2010

Seems little enough to do, equal time for worker's unemployment extension and for the rich folks extension. Why do I think it'll never happen?

[Richtk]

10:56 AM on 12/15/2010

4 years of unemployment insurance...... 4 YEARS.... Really?!?!?!?!

[NoFactsJustTruth]

12:01 PM on 12/15/2010

Try reading some historical economics about what's ALWAYS been the best method used in the last 50 years to MOST quickly get the economy moving again during recessions and down-turns with job-loss.

Likewise; 10 YEARS with HUNDREDS of BILLIONS in tax breaks to the wealthiest that FAILED to produce any jobs.... now to be 12 YEARS..... REALLY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The GWB administration had the WORST job creation of ANY President since records have been kept. FACT!

The same is also true of EVERY republican't administration using the FAILED 'trickle-on' tax-cuts to corporations and the wealthy, and statistics show each attempt caused those Presidents to create greater deficits, have greater debt and create fewer jobs; ALL were worse under Reagan, Bush and Bush.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_by_U.S._presidential_terms

What part of almost having a second GREAT DEPRESSION (by GWB Hoover) are CONS having trouble understanding?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[pyro]

12:57 PM on 12/15/2010

Homeless shelters all full, familys with children living under bridges and in cars, frostbite babys in hobo camps along railroad tracks: REALLY????!!!


YES, REALLY!

[pyro]

12:55 PM on 12/15/2010

Millions thrown out of their homes, tent citys population explodes, hunger among America's children SKYROCKETS, NO JOBS: REALLY?????!!!!

Yes, really.

[Maggieroc]

10:33 AM on 12/15/2010

I know that people are upset from one point of view to the other. But the truth is that we get to spout our anger, throw out our insults, and dazzle everyone with out political knowledge because no government body is going to listen to us. I think it is good for everyone to be able to vent on this and many other sites, but it doesn't pay the bills and it doesn't change a thing. I agree, we need to shut down our computers, turn off our tv's sit quietly with our neighbors and decide to become a voice they can't ignore. If we care about the future of our children we need to stop thinking the boys in power are ever going to care and approach it like we would approach someone who came into our home armed and looking to hurt and kill our families. We wouldn't be writing about the injustice of that act, we would be stopping it and consequences be damned. I hope we get to that point before it is too late.

[traumabob]

10:22 AM on 12/15/2010

I feel like a present-day Diogenes. I'm seeking a Democrat with a spine.

[MalteseTiger]

11:46 AM on 12/15/2010

Alan Greyson

[clocknova]

11:55 AM on 12/15/2010

And he was voted out. What does that tell you about our chances?