I see that Republicans have finally caved in on the idea of extending the existing payroll tax cut:
“In all likelihood we will agree to continue the current payroll tax relief for another year,” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said after a closed-door meeting of his colleagues….Trying to get ahead of the game, McConnell proclaimed Republican support for the payroll tax cut extension and told reporters his party would soon propose its own ideas for covering the cost of the tax cut.
….Among the ways to potentially cover the cost of renewing the payroll tax cuts are: cutting federal farm subsidies, selling some government assets, reducing federal pensions and administrative savings in the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly. All these ideas have been discussed in past budget negotiations.
When it comes to a modest tax cut that mainly benefits middle-class workers, Republicans had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the table, and even now insist that any extension has to be fully paid for. But when it comes to the Bush tax cuts, which are huge and primarily benefit the well-off, they fight for them passionately and bristle at the very idea of paying for them.
Funny, that.
It’s almost as if the only tax cuts they really care about are ones for the rich.
I’m sure there’s a more innocent explanation, though, and it is only my bitter liberal embrace of endless class warfare that has led me astray here.
