Fiscal Cliff Deal Opposed By Major Conservative Groups [View all]

[TomCADem]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- Three influential conservative groups that helped to defeat Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" before Christmas called for a "no" vote on the fiscal cliff deal struck by the White House and the Senate. The calls of opposition from these groups appear to have been heard by House Republicans, who are refusing to support the deal passed by the Senate.

The ultra-conservative Club for Growth stated, "This bill raises taxes immediately with the promise of cutting spending later. Tax rates will go up on marginal income, capital gains, dividends, and even certain estates when a person passes away. But it also delays the sequester for at least two months, breaking the promise made by Congress in 2011 to cut government spending. And, among other things, it includes an unpaid for extension of unemployment benefits."

Heritage Action, the political arm of the Heritage Foundation, echoed these concerns, "To be clear, this is a tax increase. ... Heritage Action opposes the kick-the-can tax increase and will include it as a key vote on our legislative scorecard."

FreedomWorks President and CEO Matt Kibbe opposed Senate passage of the deal and wrote to his group's members to call their senator to express their opposition. "I urge you to call your state’s two U.S. Senators and ask them to vote NO on the McConnell-Obama bill to raise taxes and postpone the promised sequester savings. We will count any vote on this proposal as a KEY VOTE when calculating the FreedomWorks Economic Freedom Scorecard for 2012."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/01/fiscal-cliff-deal-conservative-groups_n_2393397.html

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I think House Republicans have to allow passage of the bill to avoid further tarnishing the Republican brand, as well as further humiliating their leader John Boehner, but it would not be too surprising if House Republicans once again turn on their constituents and follow the ultra right wing dictates of groups that will funnel billions into the 2014 elections.