US News

GOP rage as Dems nix tax cuts for rich

In a final bit of political theater before relinquishing power, House Democrats yesterday passed a bill to extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class while letting those for high earners expire — a measure that succeeded only in infuriating Republicans.

The bill has zero chance in the Senate, where Democrats have no shot of garnering the necessary Republican support to pass the legislation, and is largely seen as political maneuvering for Dems to placate members of their base who oppose tax cuts for the rich.

Ohio Republican John Boehner, who will become House speaker in the next Congress, could barely contain his fury.

“I’m trying to catch my breath so I don’t refer to this maneuver going on today as chicken crap, all right?” Boehner said.

“But this is nonsense, all right? The election was one month ago. We are 23 months from the next election, and the political games have already started trying to set up the next election,” Boehner added.

But Democrats insisted their party was serious about ending the cuts for the wealthy, arguing that tax breaks have done nothing to spur the economy.

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens/Bronx) even accused Republicans of being more concerned with Leona Helmsley’s dog than average Americans. Helmsley famously left her Maltese, named Trouble, $12 million in her will.

“Under the Republican plan, if Trouble doesn’t get a tax break, nobody else does,” said Crowley, who brought out a giant poster of the dog on the House floor.

“They’ll protect this little dog, but they won’t protect the middle class of this country.”

The Bush tax cuts are on track to sunset at the end of the year unless Congress takes action. The Democratic leadership and President Obama want to keep the tax cuts for those making under $200,000 a year, or $250,000 for married couples. But the Republicans want to keep all the cuts.

Obama’s budget director, Jacob Lew, and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner were meeting with congressional leaders from both parties in an attempt to break the impasse.

“Any reports that we are near a deal in the tax-cuts negotiations are inaccurate and premature,” the White House said.