House Completes Vote on Tax Cuts for $95 Billion

[Thom Little]

The House passed the last and biggest part of $95 billion in tax cuts on Thursday, a move that reflected the willingness to place tax cuts above the risk of higher deficits in years to come.

Voting 234 to 197, almost purely along party lines, the House approved $56 billion in tax cuts over five years, one day after it passed other tax cuts totaling $39 billion over five years. The biggest provision would extend President Bush's 2001 tax cut for stock dividends and capital gains for two years at a cost of $20 billion.

That was welcome news for a president whose tax plans looked all but dead a few weeks ago. All the maverick Republican conservatives in House, who had pushed party leaders to pass $51 billion in spending cuts, voted enthusiastically for tax cuts costing nearly twice as much.

.......

Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, urged lawmakers last month not to approve more tax cuts unless they cut spending by at least the same amount.




http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/09/politics/09cong.html

[newscott]

1. They could have spent that money rebuilding the Gulf Coast.

[Skittles]

2. if they cared about the Gulf Coast

which they don't

[ShockediSay]

12. A Tale of Two Cities, Two Countries

There's the New Orleans folks that drove out ahead of the hurricane with their SUVs, a full tank of gas and a wallet full of credit cards and cash. Then there's the New Orleans folks that couldn't come anywheres near that, who got left behind in dire straights, who ended up dead, or worse (there are fates worse than death).

When I first read Dickens' Tale of Two Cities I couldn't understand wtf he was talking about with "the best of times; the worst of times" stuff. Now, particularly after the actions of Congress this past week, I do understand better than ever before.

Our Government is creating extremes: Extreme poverty underneath an extreme aristocracy richly corrupt. With this of course, is the extreme partisanship that has been created by our government, not to mention extremism in our judiciary.

"Is there a hole for me to get sick in?"

[Skittles]

13. all that nonsense wondering if it was race or class

it was both

[DemInDistress]

3. I have a question..

Should the Democrats sweep both Houses in Nov.06' Could the new leaders rescind the these tax benefits that go to the wealthy? or do they have to draft new tax legislation?

[Skittles]

6. either way they will scream we are raising taxes

f***ing assholes

[StClone]

9. I think that is the goal

The Pigs know they are toast so they set a trap. When the Dems take over and try to fix things it will be "Tax and Spend Liberals" bs. F'ers.

[Nitrogenica]

4. Now that this is done...this is our issue.

We all need to make sure they wear this vote around their necks next fall.

[superconnected]

5. It's only food out of the mouths of babes

poor people living in tents, elderly not getting medications, schools not being able to buy paper and pencils, soldiers not getting benefits after they've been wounded and oh yeah, a half mile wider gap between the have and have nots.

The rich keep their billions, the poor pay the taxes and starve.

Why don't the Republicans just send all the poor and middle class the physical christmas card that says, "F-YOU poor people, you're on your own". Because that's what they just voted.

[Protagoras]

7. Now that they know they are going down in 06 and 08

they're hell bent on pillaging all they can and screwing up the economy as much as possible so that no matter HOW effective the democrats are, the following decade will suck.

Then, regardless of logic, coherence, or reality...the Repukes will blame the dems. It's absurd and obscene...what they are now doing really should be considered criminal.

In the past, lords who went to these lengths found a horde of pitchfork and torch carrying peasants standing on their doorsteps.

[saskatoon]

8. peasants with pitchforks

It's time, or nearly so that we do the same thing example The American Revolution----remember it, when the common people rebeled against a dictator name george.

[TheFarseer]

11. nah, they still think they can slime and wedge issue

the democrats to death. Hell, they probably think they can pick up seats. The way they talk, the Senate will be filibuster proof by next year and the democratic party will be ruined. Bush is poised for a comeback, you know

[Enraged_Ape]

10. 95 billion represents 158 MILLION sets of body armor..

we WON'T be buying for our troops for this bogus war we've put our fine young men and women in.

Why do Bush and the Republicans hate AMERICA and our troops so much? I HAVE to know.

Any lurking Freepers, please tell me: Why do you and your fellow Republicans hate this country so much? Please don't be as cowardly as your sniveling weakling President. Please, please, please answer that simple question.