House Democrats Revolt Against Obama Over Tax Cuts

Democratic members of Congress have voted against considering a tax plan the president negotiated with Republicans.

Life is not getting any easier for Barack Obama. After the Democrats took what the president described as a “shellacking” at the midterm elections, Obama now faces internal dissent over his choice to strike a deal with uncompromising Republicans to extend the Bush-era tax cuts, which give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and could add over $800 billion to the national deficit over the next ten years. The taxes are set to expire at the end of this year. Obama and the Republicans crafted a package to extend the cuts in exchange for also extending unemployment benefits, and while the deal has the approval of Senate Democrats on Thursday the party’s congressional caucus voted against even considering it.