The House of Representatives voted today to extend existing tax cuts (as of today, I’m adding the term “so-called Bush tax cuts” to the list of phrases I promise not to say anymore this year – like the one that rhymes with Saxmageddon).
The 256-1717 vote for H.R.8, Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012, was largely partisan with only one Republican, Rep. Timothy Johnson (R-IL), voting in opposition. Nineteen Democrats voted in support of the plan: Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK), Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA), Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY), Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA), Rep. Mark Critz (D-PA), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC), Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA), Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT), Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Rep. William Owens (D-NY), Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) and Rep. Timothy Walz (D-MN). You can see the entire roll call here.)
Don’t get too excited, though. Just like the Senate vote last week, it really means nothing.
If you think back to your junior high civics class, you’d recall that what’s supposed to happen now is that the Senate and the House would negotiate (via committee) and come to some sort of compromise on the measure. In an election year, that’s not going to happen. What’s really going to happen is that – at least until November – the Democrats are going to oppose any plan that holds rates steady for the top 2% of taxpayers (those making $250,000 or more) and the Republicans will oppose any plan that doesn’t extend the cuts for all taxpayers.
Democrats are taking a gamble that most Americans will continue to support their version of the plan (the one that passed the Senate). Most polls indicate that there is not widespread support for extending the cuts to all taxpayers. So, I’m asking you: do you support extending the cuts to all taxpayers, all but the top 2% of American taxpayers or not at all?
