By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer – 40 mins ago
WASHINGTON – House Minority Leader John Boehner says he would vote for President Obama's plan to extend tax cuts only for middle-class earners, not the wealthy, if that were the only option available to House Republicans.
Boehner, R-Ohio, said it is "bad policy" to exclude the highest-earning Americans from tax relief during the recession. But he said he wouldn't block the breaks for middle-income individuals and families if Democrats won't support the full package.
Income tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush will expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts and Obama signs the bill. Obama said he would support continuing the lower tax rates for couples earning up to $250,000 or single taxpayers making up to $200,000. But he and the Democratic leadership in Congress refused to back continued lower rates for the fewer than 3 percent of Americans who make more than that.
The cost of extending the tax cuts for everyone for the next 10 years would approach $4 trillion, according to congressional estimates. Eliminating the breaks for the top earners would reduce that bill by about $700 billion.
Boehner's comments signaled a possible break in the logjam that has prevented passage of a tax bill, although Republicans would still force Democrats to vote on their bigger tax-cut package in the final weeks before the November congressional elections.
"I want to do something for all Americans who pay taxes," Boehner said in an interview taped Saturday for "Face the Nation" on CBS. "If the only option I have is to vote for some of those tax reductions, I'll vote for it. ... If that's what we can get done, but I think that's bad policy. I don't think that's going to help our economy."
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement Sunday saying, "We welcome John Boehner's change in position and support for the middle class tax cuts, but time will tell if his actions will be anything but continued support for the failed policies that got us into this mess."
Austan Goolsbee, new chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said on ABC's "This Week" that he hopes that Democratic lawmakers who also want an across-the-board extension will join Obama and others in the party in supporting legislation aimed at the middle class before the November elections.
In response to Boehner's comments, Goolsbee said, "If he's for that, I would be happy."
With congressional elections less than two months away, both parties have been working to score points with voters generally unhappy with Congress. Democrats are bearing the brunt of voter anger over a stubborn recession, a weak job market and a high-spending government, giving the GOP an opening for taking back control of the House and possibly the Senate.
Democratic leaders would relish putting up a bill that extends only the middle-class tax cuts and then daring Republicans to oppose it. In response, GOP lawmakers probably would try to force votes on amendments to extend all the tax cuts, arguing that it would be a boost to the economy, and then point to those who rejected them.
A compromise over the tax-cut extensions had been suggested by some senior Democrats. In a speech last week in Cleveland, Obama rejected the idea of temporarily extending all the tax cuts for one to two years.
The tax-cut argument between Obama and Republican lawmakers focuses on whether the debt-ridden country can afford to continue Bush's tax breaks, which were designed to expire next year. Republicans contend that cutting back on government spending ought to be the focus of efforts aimed at beginning to balance the federal budget.
If Republicans regain control of the House, they would remove Democrat Nancy Pelosi of California as speaker, a position that is second in line to the presidency after the vice president. Boehner would be the most likely successor, and he already is the focus of criticism from the Democrats' re-election campaign.
Obama himself has been leading the charge against Boehner, traveling last week to the Republican minority leader's home state to accuse him of offering little but stale ideas that led to the economic meltdown.
In keeping with that tactic, the Democratic National Committee said Sunday it plans to begin airing an ad Tuesday in Washington and on national cable that portrays Boehner as a supporter of tax cuts for the wealthy and a foe of spending for teachers, police officers and firefighters.
"Boehner has a different plan," the ad states. "Tax cuts for businesses and those that shift jobs and profits overseas. Saving multinational corporations 10 billion."
At a White House news conference Friday, Obama described the Republican proposal for a tax extension for the highest of earners as an effort "to give an average of $100,000 to millionaires." Instead, he said, both parties should move forward on their areas of agreement.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100912/ap_on_bi_ge/us_tax_cuts

Boehner is an idiot. Simple as that. 'Nuff said.

I'm not into economics that much (on a government level that is)

Why do you say that?

here is one reason...

the richer people should be taxed more, not less...

personally (and this is just my opinion) I think it should be a percentage. The more you have the more you are taxed (obviously) but it's based on a percent

i agree...but the rich people don't

The rich seem to never want to give up money unless they are buying what they want.

I just think that would be fair.

I don't think punishing people for being rich is the answer. The have the money...why punish them for being rich, but a percentage is equal IMO

imo, the rich have to spend their money to help get us out of this mess

how so Moe? Keep in mind that I'm not a economic type of gal on that level

me either, but it seems to me that all the big business, rich people have most of the money, it has to be redistributed to make the recession go away...if they hold on to it and not spend it, there is not any out their for the "not rich"...the same companies and exutives for those companies stay wealthy, and others starve... The wal marts, oil companies, cable, phones, automotive industry, internet, everything that takes 90% of your check every week...

don't they get huge tax cuts?

among other things, yes...

so then (logically) they aren't really paying that much....correct?

One thing in his favor.
He voted no on Deathcare HR3590.

Here is where you can check voting histories.

http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/membervotes.cgi?member=OH08&site=congressmerge&fullvotes=1&votes_congnum_session=111_2

Every time I hear this guys name it makes me chuckle since it sounds like Boner.

I agree that we all should pay the same exact percentage of tax. Moe thinks there should be redistribution of money they earned. That is the dumbest thing ever. If the rich have to feed the poor and there is no incentive to make more money then this ship sinks.

The middle class is hit the hardest. We do all the work and the poor get the benefits. We make too much to qualify for help but dont make enough to raise a family on one income. We should not have our taxes raised but neither should the rich. I fi t weren't for the rich and corporations....we would have nothing so get over it people.

Thank you very much

No I get what you are saying. There needs to be incentives. I don't think punishing the rich because they have money is the answer, then no one would want to make money.

To me....it's simple. A set percentage across the board. I don't see where a down fall in this would be (other than people just not wanting to pay taxes)

Fact is....taxes are needed to keep the country going. Can't get around that, as far as I can see.

I don't think Moe's suggestion is the dumbest thing ever though. I don't get it, but I don't think it's dumb. Then again...what do I know

Its the redistribution of wealth concept that gets me. Rich people have ways to shelter taxes yes but they also pay much higher percentages after those savings. It is just fair. Forcing the rich to give to the poor is not the way. Offer a better growth opportunity for American businesses, get rid of unions and we will prosper. each american should be working and able to sustain themselves, not look for handouts.

wanna get rid of deficit? that takes a while since we are in major debt with interest. Quit rebuilding hiways and invest heavily into technology. Not hi-tech but efficiency tech. How to cut energy costs. So much energy is wasted by industrial plants and individuals that its crazy. Deficit will turn around. Then get everybody in this country working, legal citizens that is. Bring the wages up for the yuck jobs and more US citizens will do them. Quit paying people to not work and the then the deficit will disappear and we will be strong again and banking some money again

hmmmmm food for thought there.

I never got the whole pork spending stuff myself. How does spending money that we don't have on things that aren't vital right now, help?

I'm not just picking on Obama....past presidents have done this too.

Makes sense to me to spend on things that will provide jobs and things we need to have first.