President Obama’s aides say the White House is trying to take a step back and let Democratic leadership figure out the best way to handle the question of the Bush tax cuts.
The president made his preference clear, and he’ll keep helping the Democrats on the stump with the rhetorical definition of their party versus the Republicans. A White House aide said it’s possible Obama might talk about the tax cuts issue during his Cabinet meeting scheduled for tomorrow.
Democrats are huddling tonight with members to see what sort of bill they could support so close to the critical midterm elections.
An administration official said the legislative affairs team is consulting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office to be of assistance where they can. The aim is to craft a bill which helps vulnerable Democrats but exposes the Republicans, the aide said, adding that’s not as easy as it sounds.
When Freshman Rep. Gerry Connolly, for example, says he’d be okay with a temporary extension of the tax cuts for the middle class and the rich, that complicates things, the aide said. (Connolly (D-VA) represents one of wealthiest districts in the nation. He’s said he gets Democrats’ arguments about just the middle class, but he also wants to help his own constituents.)
But the White House aide said word on Capitol Hill is that Democratic staffers are trying to come up with something that puts more spin on the ball, perhaps by creating a new tax bracket for millionaires. “They are trying to figure out something along those lines,” the aide said.
没有评论:
发表评论