At her weekly press conference this afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted that Bush tax cuts on the first $250,000 of income will be extended. But she was unable, or unwilling to say whether the top-bracket tax cuts benefiting only the wealthy will be renewed.
“Without getting into procedure and timing and process, what we’re going to do is to say: At the end of the day the extension of the Obama middle-income tax cuts will take place,” Pelosi said.
To follow up, TPM asked Pelosi, “Is there any chance that the top-bracket tax cuts will be extended this Congress?”
Pelosi demurred, “The only thing I can tell you is that the tax cuts for the middle class will be extended this Congress.”
Her position is equal and opposite to House Minority Leader John Boehner’s. Pelosi insists that the top-bracket tax cuts should expire, Boehner says they should be renewed, but neither will say one way or another whether or how their views will prevail.
Pelosi is facing stiff political opposition from over 30 members of her own party. Today, she told reporters how she deals with the internal pressure.
“What I say [to those Democrats] is what I’ve said all along: The tax cuts for the high end have not produced any jobs, they’ve only increased the deficit,” Pelosi said. “I respect that they have a different view. Many of these members are members who are budget hawks, so I think we’ll be able to find some common ground on the subject.”
