House Democrats

Paul Ryan

Cue The Ads: GOP Votes To Privatize Medicare In Election Year

Sahil Kapur | March 29, 2012, 4:44PM

Brave or politically suicidal?

For the second year in a row, Republicans voted Thursday to effectively dismantle Medicare -- this time, just over seven months before a presidential election. And Democrats are salivating at the political opportunity, eager to hang the vote around the neck of the party's presidential nominee and its candidates in tough congressional races.

"A year ago, nobody was talking about Democrats having a shot at the House. Now we're talking about it," a Democratic leadership aide told TPM after the vote, a party-line 228-191 that didn't win a single Dem.

House Republicans

It's On: House GOP Preps For Vote On Radical Medicare Overhaul

Sahil Kapur | March 29, 2012, 5:52AM

Lost in the frenzy surrounding the Supreme Court health care arguments this week is an important development on Capitol Hill: House Republicans are poised to vote Thursday to drastically transform Medicare and spark another potential government shutdown battle.

The new budget plan by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) faces a floor vote Thursday -- it's a tweaked version of last year's blueprint that was relentlessly attacked by Democrats for "ending Medicare as we know it" in order to pay for large tax cuts for high-income earners. This year's blueprint also replaces Medicare with a subsidized insurance exchange, but keeps traditional Medicare alive as a public option among private plans that seniors can buy into.

John Boehner

Jobs On The Line As GOP Pushes Last-Ditch Highway Bill

Sahil Kapur | March 29, 2012, 5:51AM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)

With potentially millions of jobs on the line, House Republicans are advancing their last, best option Thursday to prevent scores of transportation and infrastructure programs from expiring this weekend.

Despite a strong push by GOP leadership, rank-and-file House Republicans have resisted the call to back a bipartisan transportation bill, including one that passed the Senate overwhelmingly two weeks ago.

To save face without sparking the ire of caucus conservatives, House Speaker John Boehner will instead punt, and try to pass a three-month extension of existing programs. But even that isn't a sure bet to win 218 Republican votes.

Government Shutdown

Battle Over Disaster Relief Foils Stopgap Spending Bill

Brian Beutler | September 21, 2011, 5:54PM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

GOP legislation to continue funding the federal government failed in the House Wednesday by a vote of 195-230, after Democrats rejected a controversial measure to nix a popular manufacturing program to offset federal disaster aid.

A successful Democratic whip effort left Republicans without enough support in their caucus to pass the bill along party lines. Over 40 Republicans, demanding steeper cuts to federal programs, rebelled against GOP leadership.

FAA

Mica's Punts On Anti-Union FAA Issue, Unions Celebrate

Susan Crabtree | September 9, 2011, 4:22PM

Unions were breathing a sigh of relief Friday morning after House Republicans punted a contentious anti-union issue preventing funding for the Federal Aviation Administration to the end of December, providing back pay to agency workers and giving opponents more time to organize and fight GOP-backed anti-labor provisions.

Barack Obama

Obama To Congress: 'It's Time For Us To Meet Our Responsibilities'

Susan Crabtree | September 8, 2011, 7:06PM

President Obama delivered a determined address to a joint session of Congress Thursday evening, laying out a bold, nearly half-trillion-dollar plan aimed at creating jobs and giving the weak economic recovery a shot in the arm.

The President's job proposal is wide-ranging, including extensions of unemployment benefits and payroll tax cuts, tax incentives for hiring veterans, as well as funds to rehire teachers, renovate schools, fix roads and rehabilitate neighborhoods suffering from the blight of abandoned homes and buildings, fallout from the housing crisis.

Yet, one of the most serious hurdles the nation and Washington must overcome in jumpstarting the economy, Obama said, is deciding to put country ahead of politics and stop the finger-pointing and inside-the-beltway gamesmanship.

Debt

Despite Debt Deal Antics, Obama Not Giving Up On His Agenda

Susan Crabtree | August 2, 2011, 1:29PM

President Obama has signed the debt deal, ending months of gridlock and harried weeks of debt negotiations in Washington that brought the country to the brink of default but averted the crisis at the last minute.

The debt deal hashed out by Congressional leaders and the White House over the weekend raises the debt ceiling and guarantees more than $2 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years.

Even so, the agreement is only the first step, with the real work beginning this fall when a special committee hand-selected by Republicans and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill will get to work finding additional costs savings and possibly new revenue streams with overhauls to entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and the U.S. tax system.

Debt Ceiling

White House: No Change In Obama's Position On Social Security

Susan Crabtree | July 7, 2011, 3:23PM

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney

The White House is playing down a report that the President is willing to consider cuts to Social Security as part of a deal to raise the debt-ceiling and reduce the nation's long-term deficits.

White House spokesman Jay Carney several times during Wednesday's press briefing criticized a report in the Washington Post, saying the reporter "overwrote" it and questioning the motives of the story's sources.

Libya

What To Expect Today On House Votes On Libya

Susan Crabtree | June 24, 2011, 10:55AM

The House is set to vote today on a bill that would severely limit funding for U.S. military action in Libya, what would amount to a bipartisan rebuke of a sitting president's decision to authorize military strikes in the North African country without the approval of Congress. Votes are expected anytime from noon to late afternoon.

Republican leaders, who control the House floor, are allowing two key votes on the Libya today. The defunding measure is being offered by Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) and would cut off funds for airstrikes or any other combat but would allow the U.S. to serve in a supporting role to the now-NATO-led operation, which would include air refueling, intelligence and search-and-rescue operations.

Libya

Clinton Addresses Skeptical House Dems On Libya

Susan Crabtree | June 23, 2011, 1:07PM

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

The Obama administration deployed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to appeal to House Democrats not to tie the President's hands when it comes to Libya when a House bill defunding the Libya operation comes to the floor as expected Friday.

The White House is leaning on Clinton to defend Obama's decisions on the two war fronts Thursday -- both the incremental Afghanistan withdrawal plan he announced Wednesday night and the controversial U.S. military action in Libya.

Anthony Weiner

Pelosi Calls For Ethics Investigation Of Weiner In Wake Of Sexting Scandal

Susan Crabtree | June 6, 2011, 6:34PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) quickly called for an ethics investigation of Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) sexting after Weiner held a lengthy press conference admitting to the extramarital online activity and lying to try to cover it up.

"I am deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation; for Anthony's wife, Huma, his family, his staff and his constituents," Pelosi said in an statement. "I am calling for an Ethics Committee investigation to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred."

House Democrats

Democrats Emerge From White House Meeting Determined Not To Cave On Medicare, Taxes

Susan Crabtree | June 2, 2011, 6:28PM

House Democrats emerged from a White House meeting with President Obama confident that the GOP Medicare plan has Republicans on the ropes and more determined than ever to ensure that tax increases on the wealthiest Americans are included in any long-term debt-reduction package.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the meeting was "very productive" and a "great exchange of ideas."

2012 elections

In 2012 Money Race, Democrats Say Game On!

Susan Crabtree | April 29, 2011, 12:22PM

President Barack Obama

Democrats, still smarting from the 2010 midterm defeats, are determined not to sit on the fundraising sidelines and be caught flat-flooted again. Leading Democratic strategists are building a new arsenal for control of the White House and Congress in 2012, employing the same unlimited, secret donor activities that President Barack Obama and many Democrat have vociferously opposed.

Two new groups, Priorities USA and Priorities USA Action, have launched to counter deep-pocketed GOP groups and are planning to raise $100 million to keep Obama in the White House and elect more Democrats to Congress, according to a report in Politico.

The twin Priorities committees will mimic the example of Karl Rove's American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, the two groups that drew widespread criticism from Obama and Democrats during the 2010 cycle for taking full advantage of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United that allowed unlimited, undisclosed corporate and union donations to outside groups. One will disclose its donors while the other will not.

Paul Ryan

Dem Decries GOP's 'Harry Potter Budget Plan'

Susan Crabtree | April 15, 2011, 5:43PM

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY)

Despite widespread criticism, the House passed the GOP budget plan on largely partisan lines before leaving for a two-week recess Friday, prompting an angry outcry from Democrats on the Budget Committee who are starting to get more creative in their taunts.

After the budget vote, Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) labeled it the "Harry Potter Budget Plan."

"Don't worry about actual economic measurements," he said. "Just wave a magic wand and it all adds up."

Budget

Three House GOPers Switched Their Budget Votes After Dem Trick

Susan Crabtree | April 15, 2011, 4:04PM

Cathy Rogers

A Democratic trick on the House floor today forced exactly three Republicans to bow to pressure from their leadership and switch their vote in a last-ditch attempt to save the preordained, less conservative GOP budget plan.

In a stroke of parliamentary genius, Democrats decided to jam a more conservative budget plan through the House in order to hang it around Republicans' necks.

The vote, if successful, would have forced Republicans to formally endorse the more conservative option-- a GOP plan on steroids -- providing deeper cuts for the wealthy and more severe entitlement rollbacks. Democratic campaign ads slamming Republicans for voting for extreme, draconian cuts would have inevitably followed.

House Republicans

Poll: Plurality Of Voters Displeased With GOP House Majority, View Party As 'Extremist'

Jon Terbush | April 12, 2011, 12:22PM

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Only a few months removed from a landslide election that threw control of the House of Representatives back to Republicans, a plurality of registered voters now say the new GOP majority is doing a worse job than Democrats did when they controlled the lower chamber of Congress.

In a PPP poll released Tuesday, 43% of voters said Republicans are doing a worse job running the House than Democrats did before being ousted in last year's midterms. Meanwhile, 36% said Republicans were doing a better job than their counterparts, and an additional 19% said things are about the same.

The poll also found that a plurality of voters (48%) now say the Republican party is "extremist," while 40% say the party is mainstream. The numbers were almost flipped on the Democratic side, with 46% viewing the party as mainstream, and 39% viewing it as extremist.

Ethics

'Non-Partisan' House Ethics Staffer Donated To RNC

Susan Crabtree | March 16, 2011, 5:00PM

The House and Senate Ethics Committees are supposed to be the two panels in Congress that operate, to the best of their ability, in a nonpartisan way. At least, that's what they say.

There are plenty of internal committee rules stating that all staff must be non-partisan and abide by rules barring them from engaging in political or partisan activity of any kind. But there is little proof, as TPM has discovered, that anyone is enforcing these rules.

David Petraeus

Dem Rep Accuses Petraeus Of Using 'Charlie Sheen' PR Strategy On Afghanistan

Susan Crabtree | March 16, 2011, 1:50PM

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) accused Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, of employing a "Charlie Sheen" strategy in trying to convince the American public to stay the course in Afghanistan.

"General Petraeus is giving us the Charlie Sheen counter-insurgency strategy, which is to give exclusive interviews to every major network, and to keep saying 'we're winning' and hope the public actually agrees with you," Woolsey said during a speech on the House floor Wednesday.

Nuclear Energy

Markey Calls On U.S. To Dispense Anti-Radiation Pills

Susan Crabtree | March 16, 2011, 11:55AM

Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA)

Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) is calling on the U.S. government to require residents within 20 miles of a nuclear plant to have iodine tablets on hand as sales of the pills in the U.S. and Canada soar in response to the nuclear explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

It's been 22 years since scientists recommended implementing the tablet policy after the Three Mile Island incident, Markey said.

Ethics

Watchdogs: Ethics Committee In Turmoil Over Partisan Staff

Susan Crabtree | March 15, 2011, 6:00AM

Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)

Government watchdogs are condemning a decision to allow a Republican office to become a safe haven for supposedly nonpartisan Ethics Committee staff, saying it's one of the leading reasons why the panel is so dysfunctional.

The House Ethics Committee, led by Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL), has virtually shut down amid partisan recriminations and staff sniping over last year's handling of the case against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). Last week TPM reported that at least one of the panel's attorneys who had been suspended for allegedly mishandling the case had soft-landed on the GOP side of the House Natural Resources Committee, run by Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA).

Barack Obama

Obama: U.S. 'Slowly Tightening The Noose' Around Qaddafi

Susan Crabtree | March 11, 2011, 3:25PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama says he is "absolutely" concerned about Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi prevailing against opposition rebels but said the U.S. and its allies are "slowly tightening the noose" around him in an effort to push the dictator from power.

"I've not taken any options off the table at this point," Obama said in Friday press conference. "...We've moved as swiftly as any international coalition has ever moved to take sanctions...I have not foreclosed any options."

Ethics

One Mystery Solved: Suspended Ethics Attorney Finds Home With GOP

Susan Crabtree | March 11, 2011, 9:30AM

Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)

UPDATE: Rep. Doc Hastings, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee issued a release saying Kim is the first hire for the newly created Office of Oversight and Investigations, which will scrutinize the activities of the Department of Interior and "other agencies under the committee's purview."

One of the suspended attorneys at the center of the standoff between Republicans and Democrats on the House Ethics Committee has found a new gig on the House Natural Resources Committee.

Morgan Kim, who served as deputy chief of staff of the Ethics Committee in the last Congress and lead attorney on the case against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), was recently hired by Republicans on the Natural Resources panel and is now working full-time there, two House aides confirmed for TPM Thursday.

Elijah Cummings

Cummings Backs Obama With Mortgage Fraud Investigation

Susan Crabtree | February 25, 2011, 4:59PM

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is backing President Obama's hard line on mortgage abuses with his own wide-ranging investigation into foreclosure fraud.

Obama has been trying to broker a deal that would have the nation's largest mortgage lenders agree to cough up as much as $30 billion in fines to settle state and federal claims they abused borrowers and illegally foreclosed on homes, according to media reports citing state and federal officials engaged in the discussions.

Ethics

In Limbo: Suspended Ethics Committee Attorneys Still On House Payroll

Susan Crabtree | February 25, 2011, 2:12PM

Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL)

Last year was particularly rough for House Democrats as the messy public ethics spectacles involving prominent Democratic Reps. Charles Rangel (NY) and Maxine Waters (CA) played out for all the world to see right in the waning months before a difficult and ultimately devastating election for Democrats.

Now that Republicans are in charge of the House, watchdogs are scrutinizing their every move, waiting for signs that they're weakening the ethics standards or continuing Congress's long history of slow-walking ethics cases and its seeming inability to impose tough sanctions on those who break the rules.

Darrell Issa

Issa Defends Subpoenas, Provides Timeline of Negotiations with DHS

Susan Crabtree | February 24, 2011, 5:39PM

Darrell Issa (R-CA)

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is jabbing back at criticism from Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, that the first three subpoenas Issa sent out this Congress were "rushed" and "unilateral" and show a scatter-shot approach to investigating aimed at making headlines rather than improving government.

Cummings sent Issa a letter Wednesday accusing him of misusing the committee and failing to adequately consult Democrats before sending out three subpoenas in the last week, one to Bank of America looking for documents related to Countrywide's infamous VIP mortgage program, and two to Department of Homeland Security officials seeking depositions for the committee's investigation into whether DHS politicized FOIA requests.

Issa spokesman Kurt Bardella sent a lengthy response to Cummings' complaints and a detailed timeline, beginning with this quote: "Another day, another complaint and more righteous indignation. What else is new?"

Spending

Dems Fight To Protect For-Profit Colleges From Disclosure Rules

Brian Beutler | February 17, 2011, 12:19PM

Dep. of Education Sec. Arne Duncan

There's a fight brewing between Democrats over whether to allow the government to crack down on for-profit colleges and universities.

The Department of Education is tired of federally subsidized student loans going to shady for-profit colleges that have poor track records of getting the students who do graduates good work -- often leaving them stuck with mountains of debt. To curb this phenomenon, the agency has been moving along with a new regulation they call the "Gainful Employment" rule.

Under "Gainful Employment" rules, for profit schools would have to show that their students can find work without getting stuck with unreasonable debt in order to qualify for federal loans.

But behind the scenes, a bipartisan bloc of House members see things differently. They say the rule would reach too far and clamp down on institutions that do a decent job of educating and preparing students. But they want to tie the Department of Education's hands completely, and block the funds they'd need to implement the rules at all.

Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | January 21, 2011, 8:59AM

Obama To Meet House Democrats At Retreat
The Hill reports from the House Democratic Issues Conference in Maryland: "House Democrats are projecting a sense of unity with the White House, but President Obama's appearance here Friday at their annual retreat will be his first collective meeting with the caucus since lawmakers roundly rebuked his tax cut deal last month."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will host a reception for Mayors at 10:15 a.m. ET. He will depart from the White House at 10:50 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 11:05 a.m. ET, arriving at 12:10 p.m. ET in Albany, New York. He will tour the General Electric Plant in Schenectady at 12:45 p.m. ET, and deliver remarks on the economy at 1:05 p.m. ET. He will depart from Albany at 2 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 3:05 p.m. ET, and will arrive back at the White House 3:20 p.m. ET. He will depart the White House against 6:30 p.m. ET, and attend the Democratic Issues Conference at 7:30 p.m. ET in Cambridge, Maryland. He will arrive back at the White House at 9:45 p.m. ET.

Bush Tax Cuts

House Dems Identify Key Objection To Obama Tax Compromise

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2010, 10:45PM

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer with other House Democrats

Angry House Democrats identified their key objection to President Obama's tax cut compromise Tuesday night, after they were briefed on the deal in a private meeting by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leaders.

Several members are withholding their support for the legislation unless the details of an estate tax agreement between the White House and Senate Republicans become more progressives.

Bush Tax Cuts

House Dems Pass Only Middle Class Tax Cut Bill

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 3:56PM

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Using a wily procedural maneuver to tie Republican hands, House Democrats managed to pass, by a vote of 234-188, legislation that will allow the Bush tax cuts benefiting only the wealthiest Americans to expire.

Democrats were not united on the issue. Twenty voted with Republicans to kill the tax cut bill, as they hold out for extending additional cuts to wealthy Americans -- though 3 Republicans, including Reps. Ron Paul (TX) and Walter Jones (NC) voted for the tax cut extensions. However the outcome will (and was designed to) allow Democrats to draw distinctions between themselves and Republicans during the 2012 election cycle.

President Obama endorsed the plan many months ago, and continues to support it. But divisions within his party, the White House's soft push, and the new political reality after the November election have made it highly unlikely that this legislation will become law. It would need to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, and Democrats lack the 60 votes they'd need to do that.

John Boehner

Boehner Blasts Dems' 'Chickencrap' Tax Cut Vote Gambit (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 12:43PM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)

This afternoon, House Democrats will hold an up or down vote on vote on President Obama's plan to extend tax cuts to income below $250,000, and they've figured out a way to prevent the Republicans from pulling procedural tricks that might sink it -- a straight vote on whether or not wealthy people deserve an additional tax break. Today, at his weekly press conference, House Minority Leader John Boehner compared the move to fertilizer.

"I'm trying to catch my breath so I don't refer to this maneuver going on today as chickencrap, alright?' Boehner said. "But this is nonsense."

House Republicans

Study: Republicans More Influential On Twitter Than Dems

David Taintor | November 22, 2010, 8:37AM

Republicans didn't just win the House in the midterm elections earlier this month, their use of Twitter is also more influential than Democrats', according to a new study.

Bush Tax Cuts

Progressives Press -- Lightly -- For Ending Tax Cuts For Wealthy

Brian Beutler | November 15, 2010, 12:54PM

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Leading House progressives are joining outside advocates to pressure Democratic leaders to let the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans to expire at the end of the year.

In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Progressive Caucus co-chairs Lynn Woolsey and Raul Grijalva gently make the case for extending tax cuts to middle-income brackets alone.

As Co-Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, we would like to reiterate our support for President Obama's Fiscal Year 2011 budget proposal that would extend the Bush tax rates for the middle class, but permit the tax levels to return to previous levels for single taxpayers making more than $200,000 or married couples making more than $250,000," the co-chairs write. "We respectfully request that we have a Caucus discussion regarding our position before any proposal is brought to the Floor.

James Clyburn

Pelosi Quiet As Hoyer And Clyburn Battle It Out For Minority Whip

Brian Beutler | November 8, 2010, 10:44AM

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Speaker Of The House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Top Democrats in Washington wish their big electoral defeat Tuesday hadn't been followed by a divisive leadership fight in the House. But that's what happened Friday when, minutes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she would run to be the Dems' Minority Leader, her vote-counter James Clyburn announced he would run for Minority Whip, touching off a leadership race between himself and Steny Hoyer.

Over the weekend, both men and their allies worked the phones relentlessly to shore up support. But publicly, the two camps picked very different strategies for managing public expectations of the outcome. Team Hoyer has been working the media, rolling out ever-longer lists of members who've publicly committed to backing their guy.

"Hoyer's going to win," one source close to Hoyer told TPM.

Eric Cantor

Cantor: If Pelosi Stays As Leader It's Like Dems 'Just Didn't Get The Message' (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | November 7, 2010, 6:44PM

Republican House Minority Whip Eric Cantor weighed in on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to run for House Minority Leader today, and said that while it would be good for the Republicans, it would be "almost as if [the Democrats] just didn't get the message from the voters this election."

AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO: 75 House Dem Seats In Play In November

Brian Beutler | October 12, 2010, 10:54AM

Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President

Internal numbers from largest union federation in the country paint a startling picture for Democrats this fall, with nearly 80 Democratic seats in play -- in a year when the GOP would only need 39 net pickups to retake the House. The upshot for Democrats is that almost half of those seats are in districts with high union density, prompting the labor movement to invest in a ground game rivaling the one they mounted in 2008.

At a breakfast meeting with five reporters this morning, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka claimed that the labor movement could make the difference, at the margins, between a Republican return to power on Capitol Hill and the continuing reign of the Democratic party. The hope, in his words, is to create a "firewall" to keep the GOP from retaking the House. His argument is based on AFL's generic congressional ballot, which you can view here.

Bush Tax Cuts

Dems Officially Decide To Delay Bush Tax Cut Vote Until After Election

Brian Beutler | September 29, 2010, 2:58PM

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

It's over.

House Democrats will adjourn late this week without holding a last-minute vote on middle-income tax cuts, a top House Democratic aide confirmed to me this afternoon. The decision will dismay dozens of House progressives, and a growing array of observers and aides who believed that Democrats could have gained impressive political advantage by forcing Republicans to choose between giving all Americans a tax cut on their first $250,000, or holding out until the wealthiest Americans were given an additional break as well.

However, a significant number of Democrats, mostly conservative and vulnerable members, believed that upper-income tax cuts should be extended for a year. They were adamant that Republicans would have a stronger political hand going into election season if Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a vote on middle-income cuts in isolation.

2010 elections

President Obama To Huddle With Dem Leaders Thursday

Christina Bellantoni | September 29, 2010, 10:50AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama plans to meet with Democratic leaders on Thursday in one final huddle before members of Congress head home for the midterm elections.

Obama has stepped up his political activity recently, and White House aides say he and Vice President Joe Biden will be frequently on the trail to help their candidates try and retain control of Congress.

An administration official told TPM that leaders from both the House and Senate will meet with Obama Thursday afternoon at the White House. As we've been reporting, House Democrats are wrestling over whether to hold a vote on extending the Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class before the election. That decision is likely to be final by the time Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team arrive at the White House tomorrow.

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Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, House Democrats, Senate Democrats

Bush Tax Cuts

Dem Leadership Exposes Rift On Middle Class Tax Cuts

Brian Beutler | September 27, 2010, 12:16PM

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), President Barack Obama, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

We should know as early as today (or possibly tomorrow) whether House Democrats will do as many predict and kick the fight over middle-class tax cuts past the midterm elections in November.

Many signs point to yes -- the Senate already punted, a number of House Democrats want at least a temporary extension of tax cuts for wealthy Americans, and all of that is reflected in a split within Democratic leadership over what the party should do.

That split was reflected this weekend when, within minutes of each other, two members of the Dems' leadership team -- DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer -- gave opposing answers to a simple question: will Democrats hold this vote before the election.

Bush Tax Cuts

Top Dem: 'I Doubt' House Will Hold Vote This Week On Bush Tax Cuts (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | September 27, 2010, 10:09AM

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

Rep. Chris Van Hollen may think a vote this week is still possible on extending the Bush tax cuts for the middle class, but the No. 2 Democrat in the House splashed icy cold water on the idea Sunday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said on Fox News Sunday that he does not think a vote will happen before members adjourn for the midterm elections, even though Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday it still was possible. Hoyer blamed the Senate for opting to punt the vote to a lame-duck session, telling host Chris Wallace that it would be "a specious act" to hold a vote just for political optics before heading home.

Bush Tax Cuts

Tax Cut Tick Tock: How The Dems Championed The Issue Before Letting It Fall Apart

Christina Bellantoni | September 24, 2010, 3:52PM

President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Democrats still fervently promise they'll be passing a middle class tax cut by the end of the year, even though pre-election votes were kicked down the road.

Two weeks ago, everyone seemed to be chugging along on the same train. So where did it go off the rails?

TPMDC House Democrats

Sahil Kapur | March 29, 2012, 4:44PM

Sahil Kapur | March 29, 2012, 5:52AM

Sahil Kapur | March 29, 2012, 5:51AM

Brian Beutler | September 21, 2011, 5:54PM

Susan Crabtree | September 9, 2011, 4:22PM

Susan Crabtree | September 8, 2011, 7:06PM

Susan Crabtree | August 2, 2011, 1:29PM

Susan Crabtree | July 7, 2011, 3:23PM

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Susan Crabtree | June 23, 2011, 1:07PM

Susan Crabtree | June 6, 2011, 6:34PM

Susan Crabtree | June 2, 2011, 6:28PM

Susan Crabtree | April 29, 2011, 12:22PM

Susan Crabtree | April 15, 2011, 5:43PM

Susan Crabtree | April 15, 2011, 4:04PM

Jon Terbush | April 12, 2011, 12:22PM

Susan Crabtree | March 16, 2011, 5:00PM

Susan Crabtree | March 16, 2011, 1:50PM

Susan Crabtree | March 16, 2011, 11:55AM

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Susan Crabtree | March 11, 2011, 3:25PM

Susan Crabtree | March 11, 2011, 9:30AM

Susan Crabtree | February 25, 2011, 4:59PM

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Susan Crabtree | February 24, 2011, 5:39PM

Brian Beutler | February 17, 2011, 12:19PM

Eric Kleefeld | January 21, 2011, 8:59AM

Brian Beutler | December 7, 2010, 10:45PM

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 3:56PM

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 12:43PM

David Taintor | November 22, 2010, 8:37AM

Brian Beutler | November 15, 2010, 12:54PM

Brian Beutler | November 8, 2010, 10:44AM

Jillian Rayfield | November 7, 2010, 6:44PM

Brian Beutler | October 12, 2010, 10:54AM

Brian Beutler | September 29, 2010, 2:58PM

Christina Bellantoni | September 29, 2010, 10:50AM

Brian Beutler | September 27, 2010, 12:16PM

Christina Bellantoni | September 27, 2010, 10:09AM

Christina Bellantoni | September 24, 2010, 3:52PM

TPMDC
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