Boehner May Support Obama Tax Cut Plan
Politico reports:
House Minority Leader John Boehner said he would be willing to vote for a bill that phased out the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans provided that it extends tax cuts for the middle class, signaling for the first time a rare opportunity for negotiations between the two parties ahead of a contentious legislative debate.
“If the only option I have is to vote for some of those tax reductions, I’ll vote for it,” the Ohio Republican told CBS News’ Bob Schieffer in an interview aired Sunday on "Face the Nation."
Boehner's statement moves him closer to the position of many Democrats who have been advocating an extension of the tax cuts except for those on the richest Americans.
President Barack Obama indicated last week that extending the tax cuts for middle-class Americans ought to be a starting point for debate between the parties, and Boehner seemed to confirm that strategy, telling Schieffer that he’d vote for a bill that extended middle-class tax cuts if Congress was not able to agree on extending all of them.
Though at least some Republicans will continue to fight for an extension of all of the tax cuts, the indication that he might be open to a compromise for the richest Americans is in stark contrast to the critical tone Boehner has taken to virtually all of the administration’s economic proposals. It could also be seen as an early attempt to show what kind of leader Boehner would be if Republicans retook the majority — a deal maker as he was known for much his career in the House, rather than the partisan warrior that has emerged to lead a party trying to win back the majority.
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