Senate Democrats

Student loan reform

After Brief Detour, Senate GOP Returns To Obstruction

Sahil Kapur | May 9, 2012, 6:00AM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Senate Republicans' Tuesday filibuster of a Democratic bill to avert a student loan interest rate hike signals a return to familiar territory for the party. The move comes after a brief detour that spurred speculation about whether, with the general election in full swing, Republicans were ready to ease up when it comes to blocking hot-button issues.

The context is an effort by the GOP -- and its presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney -- to save face with key voting constituencies that strongly favor Democrats and could swing the election: women, young voters and Hispanics.

John Boehner

House GOP To Shift Defense Cuts To Poverty Programs

Sahil Kapur | May 7, 2012, 5:44AM

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) speaks during a news conference on jobs on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on December 2, 2011.

As Congress returns from recess this week, House Republicans are set to advance legislation to replace automatic defense spending cuts they agreed to last year with cuts to programs for the poor and working class. The controversial measure is expected to pass the House and die in the Senate, making it largely a political exercise that allows the two parties to contrast the values at the heart of the 2012 election: Should the burden for addressing the country's long-running fiscal challenges fall to struggling people, or to the wealthiest people in the country?

The proposal -- which is an outgrowth of the budget the House GOP overwhelmingly voted for late March -- would cut some $261 billion from health care programs, food stamps, unemployment benefits and child tax credits, among others. It constitutes a violation of the GOP's end of the debt-limit deal, which included painful sacrifices for both parties if the Congress failed to reach a bipartisan deficit-reduction agreement.

Chuck Schumer

Schumer On The Defense Of His Senate Majority In An Election About Obama

May 3, 2012, 4:21PM

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

By Reid Pillifant

| Capital New York

In 2006, by which time George W. Bush was extremely unpopular, Chuck Schumer guided six Democratic Senate candidates to victory over Republican incumbents as his party took control of the Senate. Now his party has to defend them.

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.

Senate Democrats

Top Democrats Raise Expectations For Holding The Senate

Sahil Kapur | March 11, 2012, 10:36AM

Their Senate majority widely believed to be in peril this November, top Democrats are invoking favorable events of late to raise expectations for holding on to the chamber, expressing a bullishness about the prospect that has been previously unforeseen.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), asked Sunday if he believes his party will stay in control, responded, "I sure do."

"We feel really good," Reid said on CNN's State of the Union. "We've have some tremendous -- we've had some good fortune in North Dakota, in Massachusetts, in Nevada, in Arizona. We have good candidates all over. And I feel very comfortable about where we're going to wind up in November."

Barack Obama

White House: Unanimous Dem Support For Jobs Bill Is Not The Right Test

Susan Crabtree | October 11, 2011, 1:28AM

President Barack Obama

The White House is rejecting the notion -- even among senior Democrats -- that the President's jobs bill needs to get unanimous Democratic support when it hits the Senate floor tonight or face criticism that Obama is having a tough time convincing members of his own party about its viability.

"The test is not unanimous support among Democrats," a senior White House official told reporters Tuesday morning, noting that rarely does the entire Democratic caucus vote in lockstep on any bill.

FAA

White House Pushes For FAA Solution By Week's End

Susan Crabtree | August 4, 2011, 2:21PM

President Obama phoned Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) Wednesday to urge him to pass a bill extending funding for the Federal Aviation Administration and hopes House Republicans and Democrats can resolve their differences and get tens of thousands of FAA and construction workers back on the job by the end of the week.

White House spokesman Jay Carney confirmed Obama's call to Boehner and said the President wants a resolution to the impasse by the end of the week even though the two sides have yet to make any progress resolving their differences.

"Obama called Boehner yesterday, and said this is one thing we can do for job creation pretty instantly," Carney told reporters Thursday. "It's not resolved, and it needs to be resolved, and we're hopeful that it will by the end of the week."

Debt Ceiling

After 24 Hours Of Theatrics, Boehner Faces Hardest Test Yet

Susan Crabtree | July 29, 2011, 6:40PM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Sen. Harry Reid (R-NV)

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) recovered Friday after a set of bruising setbacks this week, but his real test will come over the weekend when he's forced to quickly negotiate a bill that will attract enough Democratic support to offset the inevitable GOP losses on his right flank while not alienating his base of support and losing too many Republicans -- all under incredibly tight time pressure as the August 2nd default deadline looms ever larger.

Just how he threads the needle will be the most difficult test of his leadership yet.

Debt

Boehner's Debt Plan Rewrite Faces Test In Thursday Vote

Susan Crabtree | July 27, 2011, 7:02PM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

House Republican leaders released a revised debt-reduction bill Wednesday evening after being forced to rewrite the bill so it complies with a promise from Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to produce more spending cuts than new borrowing authority.

The new Boehner bill will cut the deficit $917 billion over ten years and raises the debt limit $900 billion, a net cost savings of $17 billion, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis. In the next year along, fiscal year 2012, the bill would cut $22 billion in spending.

Debt Ceiling

Boehner: We Have Work To Do Before My Debt Limit Plan Can Pass The House

Brian Beutler | July 26, 2011, 10:38AM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

As a sign of just how reluctant conservatives are to throw in their lot with House GOP leadership and pass their plan to avoid default, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) suggested to reporters Tuesday that the votes aren't there yet.

"We're going to have some work to do to get it passed," Boehner said at a brief press conference in the lobby of RNC Headquarters. "But I think we can."

Democrats are whipping against the bill, to prevent Republicans from claiming bipartisan support for their plan. And if all Dems vote no, Boehner has a slim margin for error if he's going to squeeze his plan through the House. More than three dozen Republicans have pledged in the past not to support an increase in the debt limit unless and until Congress passes a Constitutional amendment requiring balanced budgets, slashing spending to historic lows, and functionally prohibiting tax cuts. If they all adhere to that pledge, Boehner's bill can't pass.

Debt

Obama: Compromise Is Not A Dirty Word

Susan Crabtree | July 25, 2011, 9:12PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama used the power of his bully pulpit to try force House Republicans to forge a deficit-reduction deal with Democrats that would raise the debt ceiling but would not force massive cuts to entitlement programs while sparing the wealthiest Americans from higher taxes and "shared sacrifice."

Obama delivered a televised address to the nation Monday night, followed by an equally adamant response by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). After a frustrating week of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats full of fits and starts and ever-evolving proposals, Obama turned to the only weapon left in his arsenal: the power of the presidency to try to leverage public opinion to his side and wrangle a last-minute change of heart from Republicans.

Harry Reid

Reid: GOP Is Bringing U.S. To The Brink Of Default Disaster

Susan Crabtree | July 5, 2011, 4:13PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

After canceling the usual Senate July 4th recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) warned the country that Republicans are forcing the country to the brink of a default disaster by walking away from the negotiating table in deficit-ceiling talks.

Fresh from celebrating the nation's 235th birthday, Reid reminded citizens of the country's the major accomplishments over the years -- landing on the moon, medical advancements, fighting for democracy and freedom around the world. And he urged Congress not to make history of a different kind in the next few weeks by failing to raise the debt ceiling by a deadline of Aug. 2.

Medicare

Senate Dems Call On GOP To Abandon Ryan Medicare Plan

Susan Crabtree | June 6, 2011, 1:28PM

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

With Republicans on the ropes when it comes to defending their proposal to privatize Medicare, a group of Senate Democrats is hoping to deliver a body blow to GOP plans to push for the proposal in talks about reducing the nation's spiraling debt.

Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) on Monday called for Republicans to take Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) plan for Medicare off the table in ongoing bipartisan deficit-reduction talks.

"We owe it to our children and our grandchildren to pay down the debt but not at the expense of our seniors' healthcare," Brown told reporters on a conference call. "Ending Medicare as we know it should not be part of our debt-reduction negotiations."

Ryan's Medicare proposal has sparked a backlash with the public and has been roundly panned in national polls. Some Republicans are already distancing themselves from the plan, but GOP leaders and most of the party's presidential contenders remaining strongly committed to it.

Senate Republicans

Senate Republicans Block Obama Recess Appointments

Susan Crabtree | May 26, 2011, 8:13PM

Elizabeth Warren, Chairman of the Congressional Oversight Panel for TARP

Senate Republicans are using a parliamentary trick to block President Obama from making any recess appointments during the Senate's Memorial Day break -- including a long-awaited nomination of Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Senate will remain in pro-forma session because Republicans objected to the unanimous consent required to adjourn. The parliamentary maneuver prevented the Senate from officially going into recess for a week, denying Obama a chance for recess appointments even though Republicans openly acknowledge that they don't expect any.

"Senate Republicans are doing this just in case," said a House GOP aide.

Senate Republicans

Republicans Poised To Filibuster Liu Nomination

Susan Crabtree | May 18, 2011, 3:05PM

Goodwin Liu

Republicans in the Senate are poised to block one of the youngest and most promising liberal legal minds from ascending to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit more than a year after President Obama appointed him.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) Tuesday night filed a motion to limit debate on Liu's nomination. The motion requires 60 votes to pass, but Republicans are signaling strong opposition and may have enough votes to sink the motion and effectively filibuster the nomination when it comes to the floor Thursday.

Gas Prices

Dems: Ending Tax Breaks For Big Oil Will Have No Impact On Gas Prices

Susan Crabtree | May 13, 2011, 12:33PM

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Senate Democrats have spent the week dismissing GOP claims that ending tax breaks for the oil industry would result in higher prices at the pump. Republicans argue that the big five would simply pass along those added costs to consumers.

"It's Economics 101," a spokesman for Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told TPM earlier this week when asked for an explanation for the assumption.

Democrats brushed aside the claim as baseless, lame excuse for keeping the subsidies intact.

On Friday, the Democrats called in some economic expertise as backup to prove their point. Alan Krueger, an economic and public affairs professor at Princeton University joined Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA), chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on a conference call with reporters. According to Krueger's analysis, ending tax breaks for big oil will do nothing to increase prices, or produce such infinitesimally small increases as to have no palpable impact whatsoever.

Republicans

Republicans To Harry Reid: Two Can Play At That Game On The Budget

Brian Beutler | April 27, 2011, 4:21PM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will force Republicans to vote on the House GOP budget, Medicare privatization and all. That's a shrewd move no matter the result -- either a lot of Republicans vote for it, and then own it politically, or it splits the party and validates the view that supporting the plan is an extreme position.

But it's also the Senate, and that means the minority can swing right back at the Democrats.

"While Sen. Reid may think that's a clever move, how is he going to explain to his members that they have to vote on the President's budget, or any of the House Democrat budgets that they can't possible support," notes a Senate Republican aide. "The President's budget alone would split the hell out of his conference. We've seen this movie before when he held a vote on H.R. 1 [the House Republican spending bill] and a vote on the Dem alternative -- it backfired because the House bill got MORE votes than the Senate Dem bill. I can't imagine very many of the Senate Dems could defend the President's budget."

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."

Earmarks

Congress Shackles Itself, Slashes Earmarks to Nowhere

Susan Crabtree | April 12, 2011, 11:32AM

United States Capitol

Over the last few years in the hotly contested debate over Congress' ability to direct money to pet projects in their district, advocates of the practice, known as earmarking, have repeatedly argued that eliminating earmarks would only amount to a drop in the deficit bucket and have no real impact on overall spending.

The details of the deal to avert a government shutdown go a long way in undermining that point as the government is saving $10 billion by eliminating money usually set aside for earmark spending, including $630 million for so-called earmarks to nowhere, money for earmarks that has never been spent.

The latest measure that funds the government through the end of September even slashes $4.2 billion in Department of Defense earmarks, once a sacred cow of senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Barack Obama

Obama As Budget Referee: It's a No-Win Situation

Susan Crabtree | April 8, 2011, 11:41PM

President Barack Obama

Now that the budget hijinks have come to a close and Washington has oh-so-narrowly averted a government shutdown, let the blame game begin.

Such high stakes political negotiations always involve some level of political fallout. As President Obama likes to say, no one ever gets 100 percent of what they want in a negotiation, and there's always room to complain. Democrats will no doubt have plenty to complain about when the finer details of Friday's deal reach the light of day.

Democrats managed to jettison the policy rider aimed at defunding Planned Parenthood, but they also caved to $6 billion more in overall spending cuts than they previously said they would tolerate. And the final stop-gap spending bill included language preventing D.C. from using tax dollars for abortions.

Government Shutdown

Government Shutdown Looms As Boehner Balks

Susan Crabtree | April 5, 2011, 1:24AM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

House Speaker Boehner (R-OH) said lawmakers have yet to reach a budget deal after he and other congressional leaders met with President Obama this morning, upping the ante in the spending standoff and increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown by the end of the week.

"While there was good discussion, no agreement was reached," said a readout on the meeting from Boehner's office.

Barack Obama

Obama Steps Up Role In Endgame Budget Talks

Susan Crabtree | April 4, 2011, 4:29PM

President Barack Obama

With the threat of a government shutdown looming if Republicans and Democrats don't agree on spending cuts by the end of the week, President Obama is stepping up his role in last-minute budget negotiations and plans to meet with Congressional leaders over lunch Tuesday.

Democratic senators and Vice President Joe Biden have said both sides have agreed to a rough spending-cut figure of $33 billion but are still haggling over whether to include several policy riders on the bill and exactly where to focus some $6 to $8 billion of the spending cuts.

Budget

Biden Announces Budget Breakthrough After Huddling With Dems

Susan Crabtree | March 31, 2011, 8:58AM

Vice President Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden announced a breakthrough in talks to avert a government shutdown as top aides continued to hash out a proposal with cuts of nearly $33 billion in the 2011 budget.

Although Biden said no deal had been reached as of Wednesday night, he was optimistic that the agreement on the top figure was the beginning of the end to the standoff between House Republicans, Senate Democrats and the White House on how to fund the government through September and keep it up and running past April 8.

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."

Budget

Senior Democratic Senators To Obama: Please Engage On Budget Talks

Susan Crabtree | March 9, 2011, 8:18AM

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Senior Democratic senators are practically begging and pleading for President Obama to roll up his sleeves and engage with Republicans on budget negotiations.

Distracted by world events and crisscrossing the country talking about job creation, President Obama these Democrats say is shrinking from the heavy lifting required to leverage the full weight of the White House to sell smaller spending cuts to the American people and gain an edge in the negotiations with Republicans in Congress.

Debt Ceiling

Toomey Pushes 'Pay China First' Plan

Brian Beutler | February 2, 2011, 11:17AM

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA)

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) is trying to attach a controversial debt-limit provision to an unrelated aviation bill, now on the Senate floor.

As described here, the measure would manage the fallout of a default on the national debt by prioritizing Treasury payments to investors -- foreign countries, financial institutions -- over other obligations like Social Security beneficiaries and veterans benefits, among others.

Harry Reid

Top Reid Aide To Depart

Brian Beutler | January 11, 2011, 2:14PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

The shakeup continues in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's press shop.

Regan LaChapelle, who served as Reid's Deputy Communications Director, will be clearing out this week, she told reporters in the Senate press gallery this afternoon.

Her move follows the departures of Jim Manley, Reid's chief spokesman, and Rodell Mollineau, who served as staff director.

LaChapelle is leaving to run the press shop at the Millenium Challenge Corporation.

The Democrats' communications program is in the midst of being overhauled. After the November midterm, Reid appointed Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to run media outreach for the Dems. Jon Summers is Reid's new chief spokesman, and Schumer flack Brian Fallon has taken over messaging duties for the Democratic caucus.

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Topics: Chuck Schumer, Democrats, Harry Reid, Senate Democrats

Melody Barnes

White House's Melody Barnes To Progressives: Don't Jump Off The Bridge!

Ryan J. Reilly | December 3, 2010, 9:03AM

You know that scene in "It's A Wonderful Life" where George Bailey is standing on the bridge ready to end it all? That's where White House Director of Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes sees liberals now, as they await the GOP takeover of the House. In her metaphor, Barnes is a guardian angel of sorts, trying her best Thursday night to pull progressives back from the brink.

Speaking at the American Constitution Society's holiday party at the Center for American Progress last night, Barnes drew parallels between the famous Christmas-themed movie (one of her favorite films) and the situation liberals find themselves in post-election 2010.

Yeah, it's bad, Barnes acknowledged. But, she implored, think of how much worse it would have been if Democrats hadn't been in power at all.

Harry Reid

Harry Reid: 'Difficult Is Not Synonymous With Impossible'

Megan Carpentier | November 3, 2010, 2:07AM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Sen. Harry Reid took the stage at his raucous victory party to thank his wife, his family and all his supporters for not giving up on him. He said his victory represented a repudiation of black-and-white ideology -- presumably represented by his opponent Sharron Angle "It's not about us versus them," he said. "It's about every Nevadan working together."

But Reid acknowledged that his victory wasn't the end of his fighting days.

2010 elections

Democrats Retain Control Of The Senate

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2010, 12:50AM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

With 51 Senate seats, Democrats have retained their majority in the United States Senate, setting the stage for a divided Congress that will likely define the next two years of American politics.

As it stands now, Republicans have 46 seats in the Senate, and Democrats have 51. Senate races in Colorado, Washington and Alaska are still up in the air. The new Senate breakdown is at least 49 Democrats, 46 Republicans and 2 Independents who caucus with the Dems.

The new Senate, when sworn in January, will be missing some big names observers have been used to hearing, including Arlen Specter (D-PA), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Jim Bunning (R-KY), all of whom either retired or were defeated by primary opponents.

In the end, Democrats lost President Obama's old Senate seat but kept Vice President Biden's. Losing Senators like Russ Feingold (WI) and Blanche Lincoln (AR) will change the dynamics for the party caucus quite a bit. But Democrats can hang their hats on caucus leader Harry Reid's win in his home state of Nevada, a race that no one thought he had locked up.

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

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?

Bush Tax Cuts

Some Think Reid Bowing To Pressure From Dem Candidates

Christina Bellantoni | September 23, 2010, 1:34PM

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Vice President Joe Biden, and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

How did Senate leadership go from all-systems-go on extending tax cuts for the middle class to let's wait for the lame duck? Some aides think it has everything to do with the elections.

A Senate Democratic aide told TPM that while leadership has opted to scrap plans for a tax cuts vote before the election, the caucus isn't so clearly against holding a vote now.

The aide said it's closely divided among the Democrats who want to punt until November and those who want to take a vote now to draw a distinction between their party and the Republicans in clear terms.

Bush Tax Cuts

Dorgan Says Tax Cuts Vote Could Be As Late As December

Christina Bellantoni | September 23, 2010, 1:18PM

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

Retiring Sen. Byron Dorgan seems today like he is in no hurry to pass tax cuts, telling on Fox News it could happen as late as December.

Dorgan (D-ND) said he wants the cuts extended for the first $250,000 in income for at least "a few years" and then reevaluate whether they should be made permanent. As we've reported, Senate Democrats appear poised to go home without taking a vote before the election.

Bush Tax Cuts

Schumer Silent On Bush Tax Cut Vote

Brian Beutler | September 22, 2010, 1:45PM

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Whether or not the Senate votes on extending some (or all) of the Bush tax cuts may end up being the key to any pre-election tax cuts vote. The House is reportedly holding its fire until the Senate decides what to do, and the last thing most Democrats want is to go into the home stretch of election season with Republicans warning of a looming tax hike in 2011.

Nonetheless, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) won't say whether there will be a vote before the Senate adjourns a week or so from now.

"It's being discussed within our caucus now," Schumer said at a press conference this afternoon. "Talk to leader Reid."

TPM asked Schumer whether he personally wants Harry Reid to move on President Obama's middle-income tax cut plan before the October recess.

"I'm not speculating," he said.

Bush Tax Cuts

Jim Webb Iffy On Tax Cuts, Worries $250k Cutoff Too Low

Christina Bellantoni | September 22, 2010, 9:29AM

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA)

Sen. Jim Webb might be joining the ranks of several Senate Democrats who think the Bush-era tax cuts should be extended to help people who earn more than $250,000 per year.

A spokesman for Webb (D-VA) told TPM that the senator is negotiating the specifics with the Democratic leadership, talking about potential alternatives to their favored plan being championed by President Obama.

"He is definitely in favor of passing tax cuts," said Webb spokesman Will Jenkins. "He is still discussing the specifics with his colleagues, but he has said that he thinks the proposed $250,000 cut off level is too low, and he is advocating that it be raised."

Bush Tax Cuts

Senate Dems Vow Tax Cut Vote Before Election -- Even If It Fails, 'We Win'

Christina Bellantoni | September 20, 2010, 11:04AM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

With all the wrangling over the Bush-era tax cuts among House Democrats, who would have thought that it actually would be easier for Senate Democrats to push through a critical election-year vote on extending the cuts for the middle class?

It is, after all, the Senate, so this could of course all fall apart at any moment. But a top Democratic aide told TPM that Senate Democrats have a detailed plan for getting the vote through to win the political battle.

"We're having this fight before November," the aide told TPM, speaking on a condition of anonymity to be able to lay out the political agenda. "The caucus is in agreement that this fight is a fight worth taking before the election. You may not win but you put yourself in the camp of fighting with the middle class."

Bush Tax Cuts

House And Senate Dems Bicker Over Forcing GOP Hand On Tax Cuts

Brian Beutler | September 14, 2010, 10:49PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Are Democrats bickering again over whether the Senate or the House should make the first move on a major agenda item.

Yes they are. Multiple House Democratic leaders tonight were adamant that they'll put Republicans on the spot for demanding tax cuts for the wealthy...but they're arguing amongst themselves over whether the onus should be on the House or the Senate to make the first move.

"I do think it's worth a fight, I do think it's worth a vote," DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen said on MSNBC tonight after a meeting with the Democratic conference. "As to whether we start in the House or the Senate, that's obviously something that we have to figure out."

Climate Change

Senate Democrats Drop BP-Climate Bill Until After Recess

Christina Bellantoni | August 3, 2010, 4:33PM

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in the background.

Senate Democrats announced this afternoon they will go home for a month-long recess without taking action on a scaled-back energy measure that was their best chance for any legislation addressing the issue before the midterm elections. A voted had been scheduled on the energy bill, which would create jobs and establish new thresholds for BP's financial responsibility along the Gulf Coast.

With senators citing the hottest July on record, they bashed Republicans for not joining them on a bill they said would hold BP accountable for the oil spill and which would create incentives for green jobs.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared, "We are not giving up on energy," but pointedly said something would be accomplished by the "end of the year," not before the election. Republicans hopeful they could win back control of Congress this fall are cautioning Democrats against any major legislation during a lame-duck session.

TPMDC Senate Democrats

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Brian Beutler | January 11, 2011, 2:14PM

Ryan J. Reilly | December 3, 2010, 9:03AM

Megan Carpentier | November 3, 2010, 2:07AM

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2010, 12:50AM

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

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

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

Christina Bellantoni | September 23, 2010, 1:34PM

Christina Bellantoni | September 23, 2010, 1:18PM

Brian Beutler | September 22, 2010, 1:45PM

Christina Bellantoni | September 22, 2010, 9:29AM

Christina Bellantoni | September 20, 2010, 11:04AM

Brian Beutler | September 14, 2010, 10:49PM

Christina Bellantoni | August 3, 2010, 4:33PM

TPMDC
Senate Democrats