Democratic and Republican leaders paint the growing debate over the Bush tax cuts as a choice between extending the cuts on the middle class alone, or extending them to everybody — including the wealthiest Americans — permanently. But some members, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), now say they’d support a compromise measure that only temporarily extends tax cuts for the rich.
“I think three years would do us well,” Graham said on Fox News earlier today.
Democrat Chris Van Hollen, by contrast, imagines a one-year extension of the top-bracket cuts.
Inasmuch as there’s public negotiation about the tax cuts, this is it. Neither side addresses what would prevent the same fight we’re witnessing now from playing out all over again in 2011 or 2013. But as TPM’s been reporting for some time, this is where the legislative debate is most likely to center.
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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