Rangel: ‘They Knew’ I Didn’t Deserve Censure
Appearing on State of the Union, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) said that his censure this past week was the product of a political environment in which members of Congress were afraid of appearing “easy on anybody in Washington.” Rangel added: “I can understand that feeling back home, but I tell you, individually, whether it’s Republicans or Democrats, they knew what I had done did not reach the level of a censure.”
Durbin: ‘Unconscionable’ To Cut Top Taxes And Not Extend Unemployment
Appearing on Face The Nation, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that any tax-cut deal would also have to include an extension of unemployment benefits: “The notion that we would give tax cuts to those making over a million dollars a year, which is the Republican position, and then turn our backs on 2 million Americans who will lose unemployment benefits before Christmas … is unconscionable.”
Hatch: Dems And GOP Should ‘Kick It Over’ For Two Years On Bush Tax Cuts
Appearing on State of the Union, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said that the Bush tax cuts should be completely extended for two years, rather than work out a deal for either the Republican position of permanently extending all tax cuts, or the Democratic position of extending them for all but the highest income brackets: “I’ve said that neither side has the votes to get what they want, so I think we’re going to have to kick it over for about two years.”
Wyden: ‘I’d Be Willing to Go Along With A One-Year Extension’
Appearing on State of the Union, Sen. Ron Wyden signaled Democratic flexibility on extending the top Bush tax cuts: “I’d be willing to go along with a one-year extension so we can protect the middle class,” said Wyden. He also added that one year is enough time to fix the country’s “job-killing, insanely complicated mess of a tax system.”
Dem Sen. Conrad: ‘It’s Imperative That We Extend The Tax Cuts’
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said that the Bush tax cuts should be extended — but that Congress also had to work on long-term efforts to control the deficit. “In the short term, I think it’s imperative that we extend the tax cuts, at least for the middle class, because the economic consequences of a failure to extend the tax cuts are severe,” said Conrad. “But that doesn’t take away from the fact we then have to pivot and have a longer term plan to control the debt and bring it down.
Hensarling: ‘We Don’t Want No Tax Increases On Nobody’
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) said that tax rates should not go up, and spending would have to come down. “We don’t want no tax increases on nobody. Now, that may be poor grammar, but it’s great economics,” said Hensarling. “The cost of government has averaged 20 percent of the economy in the post-war era, and over the course of the next generation it’s due to double.”
Clark: Ending DADT ‘About A 2’ In Terms Of Disruption
Appearing on This Week, retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a former Democratic presidential candidate, spoke in favor of ending the ban on gays in the military: “On a scale of 1 to 10, the report said this was about a 2 in terms of degree of difficulty and degree of disruption. Yes, it does add complexity, but not nearly as much complexity as the continuing uncertainty. The president said it’s going to be done. I think, one way or another, what the chiefs were telling you, while they were trying to be loyal to all the people that serve under them, what they were telling you was, let’s make this decision and move forward.”
