Please enlighten me. How can a tax cut be made permanent?

[JanMichael]

Sure I suppose that a specific law for a specific year could be frozen but what would stop a future Congress from simply writing a new version? I'm guessing that a particular type of tax could be made illegal, but even then a future Congress coul undo that since they make the laws. Hell alcohol was illegal, yes? Is this talk of making Bushco's tax-cut "permanent" just WH media bluster aimed at confusing the populace?

So answer me this, how can any tax cut be made "permanent"?

[kiahzero]

1. Sunset provisions are removed

My understanding is that as the law is currently written, the tax cut will phase itself out.

"Making it permanent" means that those provisions will be removed, and the cuts will stand until Congress takes action to change them.

[JanMichael]

3. Sounds like a play on words.

People hear "Make Permanent" and think, well, Permanent.

It's not really reflective of what's actually happening.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Basically, yes

As you imply in your root post, there is really no such thing as a permanent tax or a permanent tax reduction.

Tax rates are always subject to an act of Congress.

[goobergunch]

6. It's due to the procedure they passed the bills under

The Bush* tax cuts were passed under a special budget procedure known as "reconciliation", making them immune to filibuster and allowing them to pass with a bare majority. However, reconciliation legislation must sunset (expire) after 10 years - and so the Bush* tax cuts expire 10 years after their enactment.

[Nihil]

2. Ah but ...

> but even then a future Congress could undo that since they make
> the laws

Not if there IS no future congress! :tinfoilhat: (Dum-de-dum-dum-DAH!)

(Sorry Jan, should have waited for a few serious answers first I guess :-) )

Nihil

[CaptainClark23]

4. Republican control of the legislature.

Will keep the tax cuts in place for the forseeable future.

Unless the Dems manage to hold onto some of the seats coming up, and/or some of the more fiscally conservative Repubs have a sudden concience and start biting the hand that feeds.

[yolatengo]

5. it's for the rubes

"This Glorious Tax Cut, enacted by Dear Leader and his Glorious
(Republican) Congress will be forever and ever Amen...and the
only thing that can change that is if the dastardly, communist,
athiest, baby-killing, homo, traitorous Dummycraps pass the
largest tax increase in the history of the universe, so remain
viligent, Citizen and never, ever, EVER vote for the dastardly,
communist, athiest, baby-killing, homo, traitorous Dummycraps
again for the test of your life unless you LIKE handing ALL YOUR
MONEY, permanently, over to dastardly, communist, athiest,
baby-killing, homo, traitorous Dummycraps to spend on
welfare queens, homos, Hitlery's Reelection Campaign and
foreign aid to Al Qaeda to kill Our Boys overseas."

And the rubes will eat it up with a spoon and beg for more, as
they watch their jobs ship overseas and watch the moths descend
to feast on the safety net, yet they'll STILL blame it all on the
"Dummycraps".

What morAns.

Bigby

[ComerPerro]

8. What they are trying to do is change the definition

He wants his tax cuts "permenant", as in renewed annually. That way, anyone who doesn't pass his annual tax cut can be attacked for "raising taxes"

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Yes, its a word game

Politicians love to play word games. It's not even a trait unique to the Republican subsecies of the creature.

[Az]

10. The cuts were made possible by a trick

When passed the tax cuts were only temporary. They were to revitalize the economy. After a period of times the taxes, according to the bill passed, would be reinstated. This was set up so they could get it past those against tax cuts for the rich. It eased their complaints about the long term damage done to the deficit.

Of course it was all smoke and mirrors. They always intended the cuts to be perm. Now that they are in place they can argue that letting that tax go back in place is the same as hiking the taxes. More lies and spin from the right.

[Kazak]

11. No doubt...let's permanently criple our economy.

Heck, while we're at it, let's divert more funding toward defense.

Not.

[buckeye1]

12. J M.

Let me school you. Everyting in law is only hindered by the Constitution.The Supreme Court is the last decider(elect 2000 not counting), keep this in mind. The Court makeup is NOT defined. It has been as low as 6 and as big as 14. The currant court has a swing character. Had BushI won in 92 we would see a 7-2 court now. Imagine the havoc that would already be.

Back to your Q? No law is ever permanent. There are traditional things that can and should be ignored because of THEM.

When law is tyranny,Revolution is order.