Rep. Frank presses Pelosi to bring up Obama tax deal

[jefferson_dem]

Frank presses Pelosi to bring up Obama tax deal
By Jordan Fabian - 12/09/10 05:17 PM ET

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should bring up for a vote President Obama's tax-cut deal with Republicans, an influential House Democrat said Thursday.

Rep. Barney Frank (Mass.) -- the top Democrat on the Financial Services Committee -- said that Pelosi (D-Calif.) should present lawmakers with the a chance to vote on the president's plan and an alternative proposal during the lame-duck session.

"In the end I think she’s obligated to allow a vote on the president’s plan, but also on an alternative," he said during an interview on Bloomberg Television. "I think she should see if we can make changes. But I do think the president's plans should be voted on as well."

Pressure from Frank comes after his colleagues on Thursday took a symbolic vote against the Obama plan, which would renew all the Bush tax cuts for two-years in exchange for a 13-month extension of unemployment benefits.

The outgoing Speaker said after the vote that she will continue discussions with the White House to try to alter the deal, even though Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday the terms are non-negotiable.

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http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/133009-frank-pelosi-obligated-to-bring-up-obama-tax-deal-?tmpl=component&print=1&page=

[GodlessBiker]

1. Don't cave, Nance.

[polichick]

7. +1 - That's the message I left when I called today. nt

[totodeinhere]

23. What's wrong with letting it come to a vote on the House floor and letting everybody have a

chance to vote up or down? If the progressives who oppose this compromise have enough votes, then it will fail. But let everybody vote it up or down. It's the only fair thing to do.

[Deep13]

2. "Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday the terms are non-negotiable."

Um, is "Joe Biden" another name for Dick Cheney? The VP is not part of the legislative branch. Neither is the POTUS. Strictly speaking, neither of them has any say in this.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Sadly, as shown by Dick Cheney, the VP DOES have a say in the Legislative Branch.

Cheney cast the tie-breaking vote 8 times in the Senate..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tie-breaking_votes_cast_by_Vice_Presidents_of_the_United_States

[Deep13]

8. Yeah, but this is the House.

Anyway even with a tie-breaker, the VP still has no role in writing the legislation.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Ah, yes. You are correct.

:thumbsup: :hi:

[texshelters]

15. Actually, the VP is the head of the Senate, though not a legislator...

but that doesn't make Biden correct on this.

Peace,
Tex Shelters
http://texshelters.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/it%E2%80%99s-time-for-the-obama-denial-to-end-and-anger-to-begin/

[Deep13]

18. This is the House we are talking about. nt

[texshelters]

22. Perhaps, but the comment said

"legislative branch", not "House".

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[young but wise]

19. Good for biden. People need their benefits now.

[Deep13]

20. Then pass the benefits. And a way to pay for them...

...by letting tax cuts on the rich expire.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. If it truly is "take-it-or-leave-it"..then LEAVE IT!

How can the President make a deal with the repukes and allow no input from Congressional members of his OWN party??

[Clio the Leo]

4. It's been interesting to see how the votes in the Senate today have been affected by this. nt

[CakeGrrl]

6. Somewhere in this, the Senate Republicans are holding DADT repeal hostage to the tax deal.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. The repukes are STILL playing chess to the Dems' checkers. They are STILL in control

and they do not even have the numbers they will have after Jan 1...

Their obstructionism should have been among the most repeated memes during the midterm elections!!!!

[Clio the Leo]

11. that's it exactly...

.... it's bad enough folks want to throw away unemployment insurance, a progressive tax cut in order to win their moral victories, but we're now in the process of throwing away DADT repeal and the Dream act and ....... what else?

Hope yall are happy!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. But, of course, we know they won't be come January

and, of course, everybody will be blaming Obama first.

Well, he could've.........well, he would've.....Well, he should've..........oh hell! Let's just primary Obama!!!!"

:eyes:

[Hardrada]

13. Down with executive tyranny! Down with the forces of Reaction!

We are happy to see this filth washed away.

[DearAbby]

16. They are holding EVERYTHING based on the Tax cut deal

[texshelters]

14. What Banker got in Frank's ear

and why is he doing the work for Republicans?

Don't bring a vote. Bring the vote on DADT back or unemployment extensions, or a national chewing gum flavor amendment to the Constitution. When a better and different "compromise" comes to you table, then vote on that.

And, vote for the middle class tax cuts again to show what assholes the Rs really are, that they only care for the rich.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[Phx_Dem]

17. Knock yourselves out. An amended version isn't going to pass the SEnate.

If the White House couldn't get a better deal, there's no way in hell House Dems, whom Republican's hate more than Osama Bin Laden, will be able to negotiate anything with them.

All they're doing is chasing their tails. But if it entertains them . . . whatever.

[ieoeja]

21. If they do, it will pass.

Conservative Democrats may be a relatively small majority within the House, but there are enough to combine with Republicans to make an overall majority.