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IL-SEN Sat Dec 04 2010
Durbin Votes With GOP On Extending Bush Cuts For Up To $1 million
Speaking of Illinois senators, today the Senate held two votes on the Bush tax cuts. The first was to retain the Bush-era tax cuts for incomes only up to $250,000. The second was to do the same for incomes up to $1 million. Both bills were defeated. A number of Democrats voted against each respective bill. According to Talking Points Memo, the Democrats who voted with the GOP on the second bill included Illinois's Sen. Dick Durbin:
The vote was 53-36. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Harkin (D-IA) Lieberman and Feingold voted with the GOP on the second. That vote was 53-37, and reflected progressives' unease with redefining the middle class at the $1,000,000 income threshold.
It's a little strange for the progressive Democrat and current Majority Whip to vote with the GOP against a measure to extend tax cuts to people making up to a $1 million considering he's one of 11 members of the fiscal commission that supported a $3.8 trillion plan to cut the deficit. The commission did not come to a consensus on the plan but, again, Durbin was in favor of the plan (with reservations) showing his interest in passing some kind of tax cut extension legislation for the middle class. Many progressives say ending the Bush tax cuts for Americans making $250,000 and above would not hurt the middle class and help reduce the deficit.
I was unable to reach a spokesman for Durbin today for comment.
Freddie / December 4, 2010 11:25 PM
By Tax cut compromise does he mean do whatever the Republicans say? This is such a joke. I voted for obama. Am a huge Liberal. I think the man himself is incredible and his story is inspirational. But GOSH I wish I had another candidate to choose from. It hurts my stomach because I know once he starts campaigning again he's gonna win me over with his talk and speeches, because the guy is an incredible mind. But he has absolutely no guts, and no loyalty to the people who not only voted for him...but spent 2 years campaigningg for him to get elected.The fact is the tax cuts more the middle class people really isn't all that much. If you make less than 50K it's really not all that noticeable. I am FOR the tax cuts for less than 200K or even 1 million, however...is it worth it to give people who make 50K an extra $1000 to give all these millionaires millions of dollars that they don't need? The answer is no. Let them all expire. Republicans say they won't do business until a deal is reached? Then go at them every single day about how they are stopping government from working like little children. How is this a hard strategy to understand? The Democrats are on the right side of every argument and usually have the majority of opinion on their side....How are they losing this? It's amazing.