Earlier today House Speaker John Boehner announced that negotiations to avert the fiscal cliff had reached the point of gridlock. Well, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has just announced a potential solution of bringing to the floor the House bill equivalent of the Senate Bill already passed, with a discharge petition, reports Sabrina Siddiqui, in Nancy Pelosi Threatens Discharge Petition To Break Fiscal Cliff Stalemate.
Pelosi called on House Republican leadership to bring that legislation to the floor next week and threatened that if they do not schedule a vote on the Senate bill, Democrats will file what's known as a discharge petition on Tuesday to force a vote on the measure in her chamber. If Democrats successfully obtain 218 signatures on the discharge petition, it would automatically force the middle income tax cut bill to the floor for a vote.
"We believe that not [bringing the Senate bill to the floor] would be holding middle income tax cuts hostage to tax cuts for the rich," Pelosi said. "Tax cuts for the rich which do not create jobs, just increase the deficit, heaping mountains of debt onto future generations."
"This is really very important," she added, noting that the middle income tax cut extension is just one piece of what needs to be done before the holidays.
Representative Pelosi acknowledged that we would need the support of some Republicans to succeed, but this would be a fun and effective game to play. Let's do it.
And, just an hour ago I just read that President Obama announced that he is making a list of whose been "naughty or nice" in Congress.
Obama warns congress 'I've been keeping my own naughty and nice list for Washington."
"Joe Biden was in Costco and he wanted to buy some of this stuff, but I told him he had too much work to do. I wasn't going to have him building roller coasters all day long. Now, of course, Santa delivers everywhere. I've been keeping my own naughty and nice list for Washington, so you should keep your eye on who gets some K'NEX this year. There are going to be some members of Congress who get them, and some who don't," President Obama said Friday at a rally where he pushed Congress to avoid the fiscal cliff.
Have I died and gone to heaven?
Dang, I can't remember when being a Democrat was this much fun.
3:46 PM PT:
4:12 PM PT: It's even better than I expected. I found this video of President Obama on the road, yesterday, saying before cheering crowds, the 'Senate has passed the middle class tax bill, the House Democrats are ready to go, and he has his pens and is ready to sign it.' He said almost exactly the same words today at K'Nex.
Can we reopen the OFA offices and get some phone campaigning going to demand the Republicans let this come, to the floor? Something specific like this can blow all this annoying "false equivalency of sacrifice" crap off the media - well the GOP will give on revenues if the Dems give on entitlements. We need to change this narrative or the GOP will be glad to wallow in this crap all winter. And, this is the perfect way to do it. Too bad the weekend is going to slow down our momentum. I hope our talking heads have got themselves coordinated on this powerful move in time for the Sunday talk shows.
He says, let's get this middle class tax cut done, then the rest of the issues will be easier.
Perfect! This is great. Its almost as if the Democrats have a coordinated strategy cranking on all cylinders, with the whole team working together!!!