"Fiscal cliff" talks stalled, House to vote on "Plan B"

Top aides on both sides of debt negotiations tell CBS News the talks, which were moving so quickly, have slowed to a crawl. / Mark Wilson

WASHINGTON The GOP-controlled House is moving ahead Thursday on a bill that would raise taxes on people earning over $1 million a year, sparing most workers from a tax hike but leaving in place painful budget cuts to the military and domestic agencies as "fiscal cliff" talks appear stalled.

The move, dubbed "Plan B" by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, seems to be aimed at upping the year-end pressure on Capitol Hill Democrats and President Barack Obama, but it looks to be a dead letter in the Senate and earned a White House veto threat Wednesday.

• Does Boehner's "Plan B" have the votes to pass?
• White House vows veto of GOP's "Plan B" bill

A supremely confident Obama dismissed Plan B in a Wednesday news conference, telling reporters that he and Boehner were just a few hundred billion dollars apart on a 10-year, $2 trillion-plus deficit-cutting pact.

Republicans should "peel off the war paint" and take the deal he's offering, Obama said sharply at the White House. He noted that he had won re-election with a call for higher taxes on the wealthy, then added pointedly that the nation aches for conciliation, not a contest of ideologies, after last week's mass murder at a Connecticut elementary school.

Obama continues to press for a comprehensive budget pact with Boehner to replace an economy-jarring set of automatic tax hikes and sweeping spending cuts to the Pentagon and domestic agencies set to take effect in January.

Boehner countered that the president will bear responsibility for "the largest tax increase in history" if he makes good on his veto threat.

But to a remarkable extent, the two sides have flip-flopped.

Republicans have for years argued that voting to renew most Bush-era tax cuts on income, investments and elsewhere, but allowing upper-end tax cuts to expire would be a debilitating blow to the economy and small businesses. Now, they point to the 99-plus percent of taxpayers who wouldn't be affected by their latest plan.

For their part, Democrats have lashed themselves to Obama, who carries great leverage into the battle over the fiscal cliff, the price to pay for Washington's chronic inability to address the deficit.

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[alanrobisch]

the election of lord obama was one of the worst mistake we have made as a people. His way will lead to eventual servility of the american people and he has no concern on the debt and not the guts or the ability to help our economy or balance our budget.

[alanrobisch]

Cowards you mean like Hilary who won't testify the Senate because she has a concussion

[alanrobisch]

Cowards you mean like Hilary who won't testify the Senate because she has a concussion

[bluejacket2-2009]

Plan B stands for plan Baloney.... the Republicans in the House are the wackiest group of Congress persons to ever exist... the do nothing Boehner Republican Congress ends with a bone tossed to the public to defend themselves, freaking cowards.

Let the cliff happen and bargain with the 113th Congress...

[CBSknows]

"AMERI-CAN-DO"

WE CAN AND WE MUST DO..

Combine a few letters from the words REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT and they Could Spell..AMERI-CAN-DO & ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY SHOULD..SPELL..AMERI-CAN-DO ! ! !

"WHERE COMPROMISING WITH AMERICA'S LEADER OUR PRESIDENT THAT "WE THE PEOPLE" PUT IN OFFICE SHOULD ALWAYS COME FIRST..BECAUSE WE THE PEOPLE..THE MAJORITY OF AMERICA PUT HIM IN OFFICE TO LEAD OUR COUNTRY ! ! !

WE THE PEOPLE DID NOT PUT PARTIES IN OFFICE WE PUT "MR. BARACK OBAMA IN OFFICE AS OUR LEADER ! !

As PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA..NOT DIVIDED STATES OF AMERICA ! !

.. SO LET HIM LEAD..NO ONE HAS TO AGREE WITH HIM BUT IF YOU ARE WORKING FOR HIM YOU SHOULD ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST TO WORK WITH HIM "AT ALL TIMES

NEITHER OF THESE WORDS (REPUBLICAN,DEMOCRAT) SPELLED SEPARATELY CAN SPELL.. "AMERI-CAN-DO" It Takes Both To Spell AMERI-CAN-DO and it will take BOTH PARTIES TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF AMERICA'S CHILDREN & THEIR CHILDREN.

"UNITED WE STAND" and "TEAM WORK WORKS"
(these statements aren't just words they are facts)

STAND BY OUR PRESIDENT/EVERYONE'S PRESIDENT YOUR PRESIDENT AND WORK WITH HIM ! !

Mr. Obama Is NOT just the Democrats President he is "THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES" ALL STATES & ALL PARTIES PRESIDENT.. MR. OBAMA.. IS AMERICA'S LEADER YOUR LEADER/OUR LEADER, HE WAS ELECTED BY AMERICA TO LEAD OUR NATION. "SO LET HIM LEAD" "STAND BY HIM"

"THIS IS WHY "WE THE PEOPLE PUT HIM IN OFFICE" SO WORK WITH HIM "WHATEVER IT TAKES" COMPROMISE WITH THE PRESIDENT & WORK WITH HIM..THIS IS YOUR JOB..YOUR JOB IS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOUR PARTY THINKS ABOUT YOU ! !

IT CERTAINLY ISN'T PRODUCTIVE FOR ANY PARTY TO HURT AMERICAN'S BY NOT WORKING WITH AMERICA'S LEADER THAT; "WE THE PEOPLE" ELECTED TO BE OUR PRESIDENT.

"TIME TO TEAM UP FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY"

"TIME TO STOP FIGHTING AND WORK TOGETHER AS A UNITED NATION..AS TEAM PLAYERS"

[alanrobisch]

They also elected every congressman. I guess in your opinion they have no say. Only Lord God Obama does

[Ginger2percenter]

I agree seabass6251. We should "share the burden equally".

YOU work 80 hours a week. YOU pay 35% income tax. YOU lay off workers because this BS Socialist President hates hardworking, business owners like me.

I'm a 43 year old gun toting, God fearing, married woman with 4 children and my household income is over 350K per year. Most of that gets put right back into my business. We are wealthy and NOT ashamed of it. I worked for every penny and I'll be damned if the US government is going to take it away. I, like my other wealthy peers, will take OUR money and LEAVE. I'm already reasearching opening an offshore office.

SO you bunch of stupid freeloaders, leeches, and criminals can SHOVE it! I've had enough!

For those of you who have a brain, read the Economist and The Wallstreet Journal. You'll see how screwed this country is!

[Ginger2percenter]

Slow_News:

Have you ever done a 1031? The government makes it next to impossible. Plus there a large fees from the company that handles the exchange. The only help I get is through depreciation on my rental properties but I mainly flip properties. Believe me, I'm looking for every tax break I can get.

[littlemjs]

Does this sounds familiar? The Republican controlled house stays in Washington to do their job and work through the business of the country while Senator Harry Reid....a Democrat....sends all members of the Senate home for the holidays!!! Too funny!

[Rafterman11]

Does this sounds familiar? The GOP Republicans like littlemjs have no clue how our government works and doesn't realize the Senate has no role in this. Too funny!

[littlemjs]

My my...did we not take our meds today!!! You sound like one angry Democrat! Take a chill pill! Life is just too short!

From the news cycle:

"Democrats are set to adjourn the Senate after three years of not passing a budget and with no plans to avert a fiscal cliff."

lol

[gearrunr]

1. Take steps towards getting everyone on government healthcare (dependence).
2. Play off emotions from terrible tragedies to disarm everyone (control).
3. Set a precedence of raising taxes on small groups of people (division).
We are being conquered.

[1988JAck]

Nothing but a stunt! The GOP is worthless.

[gearrunr]

If allowing taxes to be raised for a relative handful of people doesn't actually make a significant bite out of the problem it's meant to correct, but you insist, INSIST, on doing it anyway, what do you call that?

[preston4001]

Hey Boner and you other Repugnant idiots if you didn't notice more than half the country voted Obama back in. That means if you don't start comprimising with him come 2014 you will all be voted out of office. In fact we should start a petition that states if the US goes over the fiscal cliff due to republican house and senate "politicians" there should be a recall election for all of their seats!

[mtj3134]

I believe it was 60 million to 58 million and yes the POTUS is back.. It does mean however that he cannot ignore the 58 million.
Taxing us to raise 80billion a year more and overspending by over a $trillion a year, seems to be ok with you ?

The POTUS is addicted to debt, and it would seem that you agree with him ?

[luadda22]

It's worse than that MJT. You consider that there are over 180 million registered voters in the US and only 60 million voted for Obama, that means that 67% of registered voters did not vote for Obama. Then throw in that there are about 207 million that are eligible to vote and it gets even worse. Obama is commanding mandates that really have only been approved by less that 30% of the population.

WOW! What a country.