House passes Bush's full plan

The House narrowly passed Bush's $726 billion tax cut plan, when GOP moderates were unable to convince Democrats to halve the plan. Even then, the plan passed by only three votes, 215-212.

How did the supposedly fiscally responsible GOP get the votes to pass the measure? By adding $1.8 billion to the president's budget for next year. So, they cut taxes, increase spending, argue the deficit doesn't matter, and then claim they are the party of fiscal responsibility? No longer. Yet more proof the Democrats are the only alternative to skyrocketing deficits.

And as for the "moderates", as many of you noted, they caved:

GOP leaders also overcame opposition from moderates who disliked their budget's tax reductions and cuts in programs like Medicaid and agriculture. The centrists closed ranks and voted for the budget blueprint only after intensive lobbying by Vice President Dick Cheney, Treasury Secretary John Snow and other administration officials.

The wavering centrists heeded the orders delivered by the White House and Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to support the president while he waged war in Iraq. They, however, made it clear they voted for the budget only because they expect a more acceptable version to emerge from negotiations between the House and Senate.

It'll be interesting to see how many more of these "moderate" Republicans we can target in 2004 -- they sell themselves to constituents as centrists while voting time and time again with the wingnuts running their party.

In the Senate, Breux made this weird announcement:

I would prefer no tax cut at this time, but that is not politically popular.

This is dissappointing, since the Democrats would have the votes to kill Bush's tax plan if they stuck together. McCain and Chaffee will likely vote with Democrats to cut or kill any tax cuts, while there are several budget hawks on the GOP side of the aisle (yeah, some of them still exist. Barely) that have decried the tax cuts as the nation racks of $400 billion (and likely more) in deficits this year.

My Senate analysis of a few days ago still stands.

Posted March 21, 2003 07:31 AM | Comments (42)