Fiscal Cliff Debate: Why The (Very) Few Rule The Many In Congress

[Purveyor]

Sunday, December 30, 2012, By Ron Elving

In the final hours of the latest budget crisis in Washington, several salient facts are increasingly clear.

First, the leaders of the two parties in the Senate might still put together a negotiated deal that would avert the combination of tax increases and spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff. The leaders would start with President Obama's top priorities, modify them to accommodate Republican preferences, throw in some measures that are GOP priorities and take the package to the floor.

Second, that package would pass the Senate on Monday on the votes of Democrats, independents and possibly even a Republican or two. That assumes no one filibusters the bill. Even one senator could do so and delay the proceedings into the new year. (More about that rule in a moment.)

Third, if no one filibusters and the Senate approves the compromise package, the House will have enough votes to approve it and send it on for the president's signature. But having enough votes is not enough. In fact, it is likely the package will not even be brought to the floor for debate and a vote.

How can this be?

Even if a majority of the whole House (Republicans and Democrats) were prepared to swallow the Senate deal, they won't get a chance unless Speaker John Boehner brings it to the floor. And Boehner probably won't. He has adopted a rule that no measure will be voted on unless it is supported by a majority of the majority party — that is, his party, the Republicans. At this point, the Senate deal looks unlikely to appeal to most House Republicans.

MORE...

http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2012/dec/30/fiscal-cliff-debate-why-the-very-few-rule-the-many-in-congress/

[BanTheGOP]

1. Bohner is controlled by the Tea Party...Pure and Simple

Despite the fact he's a "moderate republican" inextricably hated by the whacko fringe of the GOP, he is beholden to their puppetmaster strings. He talks like he wants to deal, and he does try to have some semblance of control, but he really doesn't have it. And when the new Congress takes over, particularly with Alan West gone and Paul Ryan denuded of much of his power due to his epic failure to become VP, he will have to deal and cave on the tax issue.

Once that happens, then we MUST put together the narrative that the GOP AGREED that to SAVE the country, TAXES HAD TO BE RAISED ON THE RICH. This means that, in the future should the GOP get freakin' lucky and win elections, the die has been cast where we can say with ABSOLUTE PROOF that the Reagan / Bush Tax Cuts HURT THIS COUNTRY, and THEY will NEVER be able to get past it.

[AlinPA]

2. Agree he is is controlled by the teabaggers, but not that he is a "moderate". Boehner is a rightwing

zealot. He could not be elected in his district if was a centrist or moderate.

[BanTheGOP]

3. "Moderate" is what the baggers call him, that's why I originally had it in quotes

Of course Boehner is a right wing nut. He's just not a fanatical nazi right wing whacko like the baggers. THAT'S why they call him a "moderate."

[AlinPA]

4. Yep.

[Filibuster Harry]

5. And earlier today an R stated that Harry Reid was the dictator of the senate by not bringing

up bills. Go figure.