Senate GOP Pledges to Block All Bills Until Tax Dispute Resolved

By: Nsenga Burton | Posted: December 1, 2010 at 5:32 PM

GOP Senate Leaders

Earth to unemployed and poor Republicans: The GOP that you elected is not checking for you. CNN is reporting that Senate Republicans promised Wednesday to block legislative action on every issue being considered by the lame-duck Congress until the dispute over extending the Bush-era tax cuts is resolved and an extension of current government funding is approved. What's new? Did people really think that they were going to actually work with President Obama on this tax issue? All 42 Senate Republicans signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), vowing to prevent a vote on "any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers." That's good government.

Republicans want the Bush tax cuts extended, which will add $700 billion to the deficit. Democrats argue that it will be fiscally irresponsible. That's funny, because Republicans say extending jobless benefits to the unemployed would be fiscally irresponsible, even though it will cost $60 billion, which is significantly less than $700 billion. Who is actually being fiscally irresponsible?