Reported split between Boehner, McConnell on taxes
December 14, 2012, 12:28 PM
House Speaker John Boehner is not in an envious position when it comes to fiscal-cliff negotiations with President Barack Obama.
Not only is the president yielding little ground after winning a second term in office, as demonstrated in Thursday’s “frank” but apparently unproductive meeting. But Boehner is — unusually for him — seeing a bit of a Republican challenge from his left on the issue of taxes.
The Washington Post (with official denials from everyone) reports that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has suggested giving in to Obama completely on the issue of income taxes. That is, passing legislation that would let the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% expire, with the rates reverting to Clinton-era levels as high as 39%.
The idea would be that such a move would uncouple the tax issue — on which the public strongly supports the president’s position — with spending issues, where Republicans have more leverage, as well as an impending hit of the debt ceiling |