Moderate House Democrats Push for Vote on Extending All Bush Tax Cuts

CBS

Four House Democrats started circulating a draft letter among moderate Democrats today asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi to allow a vote that would extend all of the Bush tax cuts for one year.

"We urge you to consider legislation to extend all of the income tax cuts," the letter to Pelosi reads. "In recent weeks, we have heard from a diverse spectrum of economists, small business owners, and families who have voiced concerns that raising any taxes right now could negatively impact economic growth. Given the continued fragility of our economy and slow pace of recovery, we share their concerns."

The letter, drafted by Reps. James Matheson (D-Utah), Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), Glenn Nye (D-Va.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) is part of an effort by moderate Democrats to find some sort of compromise on extending the tax cuts with more liberal Democrats who say that the country cannot afford to extend taxes for the wealthy in the middle of a recession.

President Obama and Pelosi's positions on the Bush tax cuts have remained that the tax breaks should only be extended for families making under $250,000 per year and individuals making less than $200,000. That's despite the fact that the economy still shows little sign of improvement and that many of the Democrats' most vulnerable members this November oppose any tax increases. One Pelosi aide said it would be up to those members to make up their own mind on this vote.

Republicans also tried to change the debate, or get back to their original messaging on taxes, just one day after House Minority Leader John Boehner told CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer on "Face the Nation" that "If the only option I have is to vote for some of those tax reductions, I'll vote for it."

One Boehner aide said that the minority leader is not saying he will vote for a package that extends only some of the tax cuts. First, the aide said, they will try to force an up-or-down vote on a package that would extend all of the tax cuts.

House minority whip Eric Cantor also weighed in, saying in a statement that "despite the clear efforts by President Obama and Speaker Pelosi to increase taxes on hard working Americans, there is ample evidence that a bipartisan majority of the House would support a clean bill to ensure that no American faces a tax increase in this difficult economic environment. I am calling on Speaker Pelosi and President Obama to allow all members of the House - Republican and Democrat - to vote on legislation that would prevent tax increases for every American."

For all the drama going on in the House on the issue, a Pelosi aide said that the real problem remains in the Senate where Republicans would not vote for a bill that allowed some of the Bush tax cuts to expire. Four Democrats and one independent in the Senate have also voiced concerns about allowing anyone's taxes to increase -- meaning the 60 votes needed to move the legislation might not even be there.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a bill today on the Senate floor that would stop any tax increases, saying that the Democrats' spending policies had already done enough damage. "Now they want to drive another nail in the coffin," he said. "A massive tax hike on the very people who will dig us out of this recession by expanding their businesses and creating jobs."

It is unclear yet whether the House or Senate will take up the legislation first, but Democratic aides in both the House and Senate said that they hope to bring up a bill sometime in the next four weeks.

More coverage:

John Boehner's Brilliant Maneuver
Mitch McConnell Stands Firm: No Partial Bush Tax Cut Extension
White House Hopes Boehner Serious About Tax Cuts
Boehner: I'll Drop Tax Cut for Rich If I Have To
Geithner Welcomes GOP Support for Tax Plan
White House: No Veto Will be Needed Over Bush Tax Cuts
Obama: GOP Holding Middle Class Tax Cuts "Hostage"

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Jill Jackson is a CBS News senior political producer. You can read more of her posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow her on Twitter.

[deciquio]

Should the moderate vote be call the moderats?

[deciquio]

Should the moderate vote be call moderats?

[ccdemuth]

Two-thirds of Fairfield County voters think that Washington is on the wrong track. Our congressman, Jim Himes, disagrees. He voted in favor of the $787 billion dollar stimulus plan. After saddling your family with over ten thousand dollars in additional debt, we still have a ten percent unemployment rate. Himes voted the healthcare bill into law, a law which is already projected to cost more than was advertised. He voted to increase our national debt by a record $1.9 trillion dollars, bringing our total debt to a new high of $12.4 trillion dollars.

After two years of votes that create too few jobs but too big a role for government, most voters in Fairfield County disagree with each of these votes. What does Jim Himes have to say about his record in Washington? At a recent appearance, he had this message for the voters:

?I am proud as hell of what we have accomplished...
I stand behind what we have done and what we have voted for...
I stand behind what this president and this congress has been able to do?
I am proud as hell, not just on the economy?
I am proud as hell... I?m just proud as hell.?

If you want more of the same, then there is an incumbent congressman that is proud as hell of our current direction, but if you think that there is a better way, then you should know that Dan Debicella (http://www.debicella.com) thinks so too. If you would like to help Dan get his message of free enterprise, limited government, and individual liberty to the voters, then you can do so here: https://debicella.blue-swarm.com/donate. Please give what you can because Fairfield County deserves better.

[slatep]

I venture to say if Congress does not vote to extend the tax reductions on the middle class and eliminate the tax reductions on the rich, they will all be looking for a new job in November.

The saddest part of all this is they have nothing to worry about even if they do lose their "seats", because they have voted to be able to collect their pensions for the rest of their lives; a sum on which most Americans could live quite comfortably on.

America will gain nothing in any election until corruption and lobbyists are removed from the picture.!

[PoliticalJoe]

The bluedog democrats are just trying to save their jobs by looking good for the voters who are now paying attention. If they really cared about the econcomy and our jobs, why didn't they protest and fight against the stimulus bills and the healthcare bill. Those are the things that are costing the government more money than the world owns. They only pretended to fight against the healthcare bill. They voted to allow Nancy Pelosi the right to "Deem in into law" if they didn't get enough votes to pass it. How is that voting against it. If they really cared about the economy they'd vote against everything Nancy Pelosi is doing. This madness has got to stop. Vote them out!

[tsigili]

Congress has no stomach for raising their own taxes, when in fact, they are all going to be in that top 2%, themselves.