President Obama's tax cut/stimulus package passes House with at least 277 votes, heads to W.H.

[Politics_Guy25]

Source: CSPAN live coverage online of the US House of Representatives

No link. Live TV.

Read more: http://www.cspan.org

---

President Obama's tax cut/unemployment benefits/stimulus plan has just passed the U.S. house with at least 256 votes. The bill now goes straight to him to be signed into law. This happened at about 11:45 ET Thursday evening.

MSNBC is live now with breaking news.

[GodlessBiker]

1. With no changes? Didn't Nancy say something about some changes after the Democratic Caucus...

voted against the Bill as is?

Indeed, as stated in the NY Times: "The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, in a statement after the vote, said changes would need to be made before she would allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote."

I don't know why I expect anything more than what we just got.

[Politics_Guy25]

2. Yeah

The Pomeroy ammendment went down apparently so it was passed exactly as the senate passed it.

[doc03]

4. No Changes? That's what I said earlier today drop all

theatrics and vote for the damn thing, we know you are going to anyway. This marks the beginning of the end of SS and by a Democratic Administration, a sad day in history.

[True_Blue]

10. I NEVER thought I would see

A Democratic House & Senate & Presidency put the first nail in the coffin of SS. Stunned!

[LibDemAlways]

14. This is not the Democratic Party of Roosevelt. It's become

the Democratic Party of Reagan. A sad day for this country.

[awoke_in_2003]

26. Oh, but Reagan...

was just the right man at the right time for this country, according to our president.

[sirthomas66]

30. It will bury both of them.

ddddddddddddd

[sofa king]

76. Yes, but it will bury the GOP first.

If the past two years show anything, it's that the Republican party needs to be pared back in Congress in order to get anything at all done. That didn't happen, and we all have our own guesses as to why that is.

Unless the timing is changed, this bill is a time bomb for the Republican Party. Because keeping the rich rich is the only real mission of the GOP, they agreed to a two-year extension of the tax cuts. Democratic leadership in the Senate will make sure no early extension goes anywhere in 2012, leaving the Republicans only this vote and (for all non-freshman Republicans) a vote against a middle class tax cut as their major tax votes.

Every Republican Senator up for reelection in 2012 is going to have to run against a record of voting against a middle class tax cut and four solid years of deception and delay in Congress, while making the empty promise that we won't be screwed again. Same goes for virtually every returning Republican Member of the House. That's going to make it very hard for Republicans to attract independents and people who don't watch Fox News.

Thus, the deck is already stacked for a landslide reelection of President Obama, and strong majorities in both houses of Congress. That two-year window might be enough for us to see what a real Democratic plan looks like. It might, if you're the optimistic sort, allow for a reversal of other objectionable provisions in this bill... but I'm not a very good optimist.

Anyway, I see the compromise as a clever trap set to activate right in the middle of election season, 2012. If it works, wonks will consider it a political maneuver worthy of its own textbook. You don't have to believe me, but that's how I see it.

[sirthomas66]

77. Not in a million years. One thing the Republicans do well is to

gather together in voting whether they gather together in thought also. Also, the fallout from this horrible mistake hasn't yet started. Once people know they've been cheated, and who to blame (Democrats), the defeat of Democrats last November will pale in comparison to the one November, 2012. Sure, the end of the Democratic Party may be an exaggeration, but if the Republicans are smart, they can keep Democrats out of power for decades. And as I tell my children there won't be any social security for them, and the money that's being taken out of their paychecks will be confiscated, THAT"S WHAT I'll BE THINKING ABOUT. Also, it means at 65, I'll have to return to work despite illnesses. I have seen NOTHING in the quality of today's Democratic Party, who had the opportunity of a lifetime, to suggest anything you state will happen. Sorry.

[sirthomas66]

28. This marks the beginning of the end both Social Security and the

Democratic Party.

[alarimer]

74. I've said before that it takes a Democrat to enact Republican policies.

Each of the last 2 Democratic Presidents has done so. Clinton, with NAFTA and "welfare reform", and now Obama has killed Social Security.

We do not have two political parties in this country; we only have one corporate party. I am only voting third party from here on out.

Fuck these traitors. Democrats in Congress are a bunch of spineless weasels. Obama is a Republican in disguise.

[awoke_in_2003]

25. Oh, but Nancy is so much a better leader...

than Harry :sarcasm: (no, i haven't taken that off the table)

[SkyDaddy7]

42. EXACTLY!!!!!! I wonder how many "Greatest Threads" we will see...

plastered on the home page with ultra-hyperbolic attacks directed at Nancy Pelosi?

NONE...There is clearly a double standard & I wonder why? Any thoughts?

[awoke_in_2003]

72. maybe she spins the media...

better. Or maybe it is because she is a "first". Not sure, exactly.

[defendandprotect]

87. We began '08 with a GOP in collapse ... we end 2010 with Dem Party in collapse ...

[high density]

3. Next stop: permanent tax cuts for the rich and social security cuts.

See you in two years!

[subterranean]

5. Great! This will grow the economy and create jobs!

I know it didn't work the last 10 years, but this time it'll be different! :sarcasm:

[ProudDad]

18. Not just the last 10

It hasn't worked for the last 30+ years...

[Sherman A1]

36. Precisely

:argh: I recall someone saying something during a campaign a few years ago about doing the same thing again and again, expecting different results... Who was that????? Hmmmm.......

[ProudDad]

75. It's an old AA/Recovery saying describing substance addiction

But it's attributed to Einstein...

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Good working definition of USAmerican Party Politics...

[jefferson_dem]

6. Yes!

Big win for the White House and the American public...whether some here acknowledge it or not.

[Hardrada]

8. You forgot the sarcasm thingie.

[ProudDad]

19. Here, I have one I can spare you...

:sarcasm:

It's a king-sized, giant dildo up the ass of the "American people"...

[awoke_in_2003]

27. at least the president...

got his "swagger" back. (too lazy to post the appropriate emoticon)

[sirthomas66]

47. What!! This is the biggest loss for the American Public in HISTORY!!!

[totodeinhere]

68. No, big win for the GOP. And they are only starting. Now they know that that they can roll Obama

and it will continue.

[onehandle]

7. Congratulations President Boehner!

or whoever...

[awoke_in_2003]

29. your sig pic is ironic...

it suggests a strong backing of someone who (like the senate majority leader) has absolutely NO spine. Team "Impeachment is off the table", indeed.

[No Elephants]

9. How long was health care "reform" debated before we got even a Big Med bailout bill signed?

And that bill was supposed to save the federal govt money.

Plutonomy.

[BuelahWitch]

21. But they want to go home for Christmas!

Poor little Congresscritters! :cry:

[NoodleyAppendage]

11. Thank you, CHINA. I'll be sure to sign over my grandkids to your forced labor camps.

OBAMA is NOBAMA in 2012. He just sealed his 1-term Presidency...unless, of course, he decides to actually run honestly in 2012 (i.e., as a Republican).

J

[guitar man]

12. It doesn't surprise me

Ya know, I tried to get mad at them, house, senate, president, but I can't. It's obvious now that the whole damn government is owned by a handful of very wealthy people. And hey, there's a reason they are called "politicians", they've been a bunch of crooked bastards since politics has existed with the exception of a very few. So no, I just can't get to mad at them.

But, these billionaire bastards pulling the strings? I harbor nothing but pure, white hot burning hatred for them. As far as I'm concerned they are the biggest enemies my America faces. If a mob were to drag them from their ivory towers and hang them tomorrow, it would be fine by me. :grr: :grr: :grr:

[awoke_in_2003]

31. "there's a reason they are called "politicians""...

because calling them sellout lackeys would be indelicate :)

[kath]

88. I prefer the guillotine to hanging - more dramatic.

[guitar man]

91. My original thought too

But if we ever do get to the point where we are actually going to do it, I think it would be fitting if we all got together and fashioned their nooses from our bootstraps. ;)

[JournalistKev87]

13. Maybe He'll Veto It?

Nobody wants the tax cuts! Even certain rich people don't want them! Obama really is the P**y President. And an asshole!

P.S.: The people you've tickled in a naughty way will still hate you cause you're black and want you dead. Idiot!

[awoke_in_2003]

32. "Maybe He'll Veto It?"...

thanks, that is the best laugh I have had all year.

[Safetykitten]

15. So, prediction time. When will all those jobs start? When will we see the wonderfull results?

[awoke_in_2003]

33. when the sun rises in the west. nt

[alp227]

16. Wonder if rich people's big new year's eve parties will stimulate the economy

They'll be popping bottles over this bill. Wonder if that'll prove us liberals wrong. :sarcasm:

Next time you hear conservatives complaining about entitlements (like "drug testing for welfare!", say: "Require drug testing for high-income tax cuts!" Perhaps Rush Limbaugh won't be eligible! :rofl:

But if the Congress just kept fighting over this Obama would be even more doomed because of the Tea Party's clout wouldn't it? I'm reading Kate Zernike's book Boiling Mad right now about the Tea Party. Honestly, middle class Americans should be feeling lucky that they don't have a tax increase right now because the way Congress works now they have an "everyone or no one" mentality, and no matter how long Bernie Sanders can make great speeches nothing can be done about it.

I just read this on NPR's Facebook feed. Quite a surprise; I predicted that the House would try more amendments.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[democracy1st]

20. he's already there,the majority of things we criticized Bush for Obama has endorsed or kept in place

[countmyvote4real]

23. Sad but true.

What a major disappointment his leadership has been.

[Plucketeer]

22. I would say this is a horrific day, but...

...there's been SO MANY of them these last two years. I'm truly NUMB to the back-stabbings we've taken from folks we thought would work for us. :evilfrown:




EXAMPLE JOB FROM TAX CUTS

[Plucketeer]

24. Imagine a Kucinich presidency.

Probably too painful to compare to what we got.



GOP JOBS PLAN

[awoke_in_2003]

34. oh, but we cannot take the man...

who went up against death threats from the mafia seriously :sarcasm: I am right there with you- DK knows no fear.

[Krakowiak]

86. the Kucinich who voted YES on this bill?

[Plucketeer]

92. To try to catagorize someone

by ONE action is silly. What tack would Dennis have taken on health care?

[defendandprotect]

35. Shameful .... only one to be praised here is Sen. Bernie Sanders ...

the only guy who stood between us and this administration's deals with

the Repugs -- !!

[Sherman A1]

37. Yes,

and the only one who will receive any campaign contributions from me in the future, meager as they may be.

[earcandle]

38. the day the music died.

[defendandprotect]

80. Did we even understand then ....

the full truth behind that song --

or maybe we do understand it now and all that is happening to America --

Right wing violence destroys everything of beauty because all of it is testimony

to their ugliness.

[JJW]

39. 29 percenters

Looks like Obama will be challenging Bush's low approval ratings of 29 percent.

[HughBeaumont]

40. Yes, Virginia. It IS a Plutocracy. And there isn't a fucking thing you can do about it.

Well . . . there is. It would result in bloodshed this nation has never seen, worldwide economic collapse, a 20 year recovery period (one RIPE for totalitarianism and a dystopia worse than four decades of Republican presidents would give us) and hope that the people who lead us out of the rubble won't become as over-the-top greedy as this bunch of assholes has.

Extreme? Change sure as shit doesn't and will not happen by voting for candidates of parties that were bought and paid for around about 30-some years ago. They won't broadcast one-day protests. Third parties aren't going to rise out of the Pumpkin Patch with the media we have.

The problem is that we can't even get thousands of US on the same page. Millions of us still eat. We still have homes. We're compartmentalized into box-like suburbs. A majority of the people blame Democratic politicians and the government for all problems economic while giving oligarchs and corporations a scot-free pass.

The problem is also that, by and large, 80% of us are largely unaffected by true suffering. Underemployment is terrible and unacceptable, but it's not unmanageable. We're always the ones who are expected to "Make do". To "suck it up", if you will, when things get tough. We're too afraid of getting arrested if we step out of line. We're too afraid of the clubs and guns of their armies. The police and military say "They'll NEVER turn their guns on the citizens . . . we ARE the citizens" . . . uh, to that I say "we'll see when push comes to shove which side you'll jump to."

So will this new movie of America be titled "How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love the Leeching?"

[dpbrown]

70. +1

:thumbsup:

[defendandprotect]

81. Afraid you're right ... but non-violent struggle has to go on --

[HughBeaumont]

41. Oh yeah, and . . .

Tax Cuts to the Rich don't Lead to Job Growth, You Corporate-Fattened Tools.

Those who don't learn from history are more than doomed to repeat it. Over, and over, and over, and over, Again.



Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm . . . Look at the three worst periods of job growth on this chart (emphasis on the worst, which would be Teh Bewsh II Yeers) . . . . ALL of them were . . .. (drum roll) . . . TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMIES. Coincidence? :think:

[panzerfaust]

43. Thank God he did not cave in on the tax cuts for the rich

[4dsc]

44. If true I'm out of the Democratic Party

I'm tired of supporting a self defeating party like this.

[Evasporque]

45. We must freeze and cut pay to government workers....

To pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Republican strategy is not complex....keep spending and giving tax cuts driving the deficit into overdrive until government is gutted and people have to pay out of pocket for crappy service from the private sector, owned by the republicans who got the tax cuts.

[Vinca]

46. The brief pulling of the bill and the threat of changes was political theater

done for our benefit. We're supposed to say, "Well, at least they tried." Except they didn't.

[redirish28]

48. House Passes Tax Deal 277-148, Sending Bill To President

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- A coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats combined to push the Obama-GOP tax-cut deal through the House by a vote of 277-148 in Friday's early morning hours. The bill slashes the estate tax, extends all the Bush tax cuts and reauthorizes unemployment insurance for 13 months. The bill will now go to the president for his signature.

The crucial vote was not on final passage of the tax cuts, but on the vote before, to reduce the generosity of the estate tax cut. Had it been included in the final measure, the bill would have gone back to the Senate. An identical version of that amendment passed in December 2009 with 225 votes, but it failed this time 233-194, with 60 Democrats voting against tightening the estate tax.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/17/house-tax-cut-vote_n_798062.html

---

I know a lot of you are buying this line that--"It was the best deal the President could get". BUT how comfortable do you feel that the house basically voted on this before anyone had a chance to hear any debate on it or see who lined up where.


They basically screwed us while we where sleeping. This is a stunt you'd expect the Repugs to pull when they are in power not the Dems.



You people can chastise me all you want. This IMHO just sold out the middle class and the house basically sneaked it onto the Presidents desk before we had a chance to voice any opinions on it to their offices!

[fasttense]

49. Meanwhile Welfare funding has dried up and

food stamp funding has been cut.

Next up, the demise of Social Security.

[Roy Rolling]

50. Bipartisan idiocy

Why is it that bipartisanship is achieved on the most idiodic and harmful legislation but something beneficial like health care is a train wreck? I even wonder why there is a Congress---it's like a fast food restaurant. All of the "recipes" are dictated in Washington DC and then strictly followed by minions in the states. Why not just do away with all the pretense and just have the national Republican and Democratic parties make laws? Locals are just figureheads and have given all of the power to the franchisor anyway.

[melm00se]

51. a common complaint

BUT how comfortable do you feel that the house basically voted on this before anyone had a chance to hear any debate on it or see who lined up where.

How many 2000 page bills or bills of dubious merit have popped in the last decade and gotten voted upon faster than any person could possibly read it and/or comprehend it?

[mikehiggins]

54. apples, meet oranges

BUT how comfortable do you feel that the house basically voted on this before anyone had a chance to hear any debate on it or see who lined up where.

How many 2000 page bills or bills of dubious merit have popped in the last decade and gotten voted upon faster than any person could possibly read it and/or comprehend it?

------

dubious merit, like the one where they tried to create retroactive immunity for the mortgage "holders"?

This was NOT like that. This was a present cause of controversy, well known, well publicised, and jammed through with deliberate intent to deny people with an interest any means of import.

We are watching the self-destruction of the Democratic Party and the historic irony of this is that we put the guy in office who is overseeing the same.

Nader may have been wrong in 2000 but today we have the Repo-Corpo-atric Party in charge and our descent into third-world nation status is well under way.

The train has left the station. The future belongs to China and Brazil.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[melm00se]

55. because it you

don't you:

a) lose legitimacy when you complain about how it's all being run (well bowens43, did you vote? no? hmmmmmm....)
b) it could get worse than it already is

[groundloop]

53. I'm at least glad to see media framing this as "tax cuts" vs. repug claim of averting tax increases

And I, for one, am mostly pissed at the repugs for holding unemployment benefits hostage to get tax cuts for millionaires. With the broken Senate, the choice came down to fighting the repugs and cutting off unemployment benefits, or giving repugs a couple more years of tax cuts while preserving unemployment. Don't get me wrong, I too am worried about the precedent being set by the temporary social security tax cut, I'd really have rather seen us fight harder, etc. etc. etc. But my rage is directed at the repugs for their sickening strategy of pitting unemployment benefits vs. tax cuts for millionaires.

[BeyondGeography]

56. Maybe China can do a reverse opium war on us some day

If we ever get out of line, trade-wise.

Same as it ever was.

[harun]

57. Pathetic

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

58. The penultimate step in the line-in-the-sand crossing.

A sad day.

[russspeakeasy]

59. I don't forgive and I don't forget.

[sirthomas66]

60. This defeat was the beginning of the end of Social Security and the

Democratic Party. By keeping the unemployment extension and the 2% Tax Holiday in the same bill, Obama steered the Democratic Party into checkmate. After this debacle, I hope to God the mainstream media, as useless as they are, and people in public, on internet boards, whatever tell the general public that this money taken from Social Security CANNOT BE SPENT unless absolutely necessary. It must be invested in some vehicle that earns as much money as social security AND because this reduction in payroll taxes forces more money into taxable income consequently more money must be added to make up the difference. I will be telling my children this today in a conference call. The lady down the street (I live in a neighborhood of people in their late forties to early fifties mainly) is organizing a block meeting to advise people who are working to NOT spend this tax holiday money. As an accountant, I'll be writing abstracts and charts of how this tax holiday will affect working people's social security fund and get them out to the political and diabetic websites I belong to. I plan to make it Readers Digest clear so everyone will know this is reality--not some kind of pretend game. I hope to God the people here will be honest and open with those that they know regarding this attack on Social Security and not wait until next year at the same time when the Tax Holiday is repeated and say something like: By the way, remember last year about this time....

[Kip Humphrey]

66. I think its time we change our name to DEMOCRACY UNDERGROUND.

[kath]

90. That's a VERY good idea!

The "Democratic" party clearly no longer stands up for the working person, nor do they hold much concern for the Bill of Rights.

[kath]

94. 60 "Democrats" voting against tightening the estate tax.

Those fucking asshole sons-of-bitches are NOT Democrats.

Fuck them to death, and all the rest of the assholes who voted for this monstrosity, and the asshole who met with the Repugs to draft the bill...

[Romulox]

61. LOL at Nancy "the only TRUE Dem leader in Congress" Pelosi's duplicity on this matter.

:puke:

[sirthomas66]

62. Her duplicity was palpable.

[COLGATE4]

63. The only difference between politicians (of both parties) and prostitutes

is that prostitutes earn their living honestly.

[cali]

64. Not my reps. Peter Welch led the fight against this monstrosity in the House

Bernie led the fight against it in the Senate. All three members of the VT delegation voted against it. And pretty much, all three fight the good fight.

[Still a Democrat]

65. Kucinich voted yes

Wow.

[defendandprotect]

82. Sad -- really, really sad --

Had an e-mail from Carl Levin which said he was voting NO -- trust he did.

I can see that in the end Kucinich doesn't want to separate himself from his

own party.

But "in the end" we are going to have just ONE Democratic Senator who voted "NO" on this?

Carl Levin?

And I'm happy at least one is standing up against this tyranny --

Rather, it's time for huge numbers of Democrats to be walking about from this Obama/GOP

agenda -- and be turning their attentions with us to saving what may be left of the party.

Q: Is there anything left of the Democratic Party to save?



:eyes:

[kath]

89. What the hell is up with that?

WTF???

[Hosnon]

67. Disappointing for many reasons:

(1) Obama did not fight as hard as he should have to raise taxes on high earners (I'm beginning to think he will avoid conflict at any cost);

(2) The payroll tax holiday is a GOP darling and the first blow to Social Security (not sure how can Obama claim this was a victory for us); and

(3) The deficit and debt will continue to grow and Social Security will require general funding; the GOP got what they wanted and will bludgeon Obama with it in 2012.

[subterranean]

69. A fourth reason:

I believe Obama could've gotten the same deal without giving in on the estate tax. I guess he just didn't feel like fighting over that, so he (or Joe Biden) gave Kyl what he wanted.

[Hosnon]

71. I don't think he feels like fighting over anything. nt.

[defendandprotect]

85. You're mistaken .... Obama has been fighting like crazy for the corporate/GOP agenda ...

why do so many have trouble seeing that -- ?

Obama and Dems have spines of STEEL when it comes to corporate interests --

it's just with the interests of the public they have trouble with.


Are we really expecting a Congress full of millionaires and multi-millionaires

to cast their votes against the rich?

[defendandprotect]

83. In other words, what Obama has done is helped GOP agenda while worsening situation....

for everyone else -- except the rich!

[alarimer]

73. They just voted to kill Social Security

Fuck those spineless Democrats. FUCK ALL OF THEM. I will never vote for a Democrat ever again.

[sirthomas66]

78. A multitude will join you, but first they must know what was done.

Unfortunately, many will not know until their checks start growing small. At that time you'll see the economy come to a standstill again and casket makers business will flourish.

[defendandprotect]

84. Don't go off alone -- join with other liberals/progressives in working

on a Plan B --

Liberals/progressives are a huge voting bloc and imo there should be a better

response than no voting ... though not sure if that's what you're suggesting?


:)

:(

[harvey007]

79. It's a sad day in the U.S.A.

:argh:

[katty]

93. thank god the rich are protected-again