–Senate Majority Leader Challenges GOP To Majority Vote On Two Plans
–Sen. Reid: ‘We Have To Have A Balanced Deal’
–Senate Minority Leader Blasts Dems For Tough Fiscal Cliff Stance
–Sen. McConnell: Dems Playing ‘Russian Roulette With Our Economy’

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell intensified their verbal battle over the
coming fiscal cliff, with Reid saying that a balanced deficit reduction
agreement can replace the fiscal cliff while McConnell hammered
Democrats for saying they are willing to see the nation go over the
fiscal cliff unless an appropriate agreement is in place.

In back-to-back comments to reporters after Senate policy
luncheons, Reid and McConnell gave no hint of common ground on fiscal
policy.

Speaking first, Reid challenged Republicans to hold immediate votes
on Democratic and Republican tax plans with any plan that gets a “simple
majority” prevailing.

“Let’s have two votes,” Reid said, with one vote on the Democratic
plan that calls for extending all Bush era tax cuts for families making
$250,000 or less and a vote on the GOP plan for extending all the Bush
era tax cuts.

Reid said there have been “many opportunities” to avoid the current
fiscal stalemate but added that GOP opposition to even a “small amount
of revenue” has killed any chance for a budget agreement.

“We have to have a balanced agreement,” Reid said, referring to the
need for a deficit reduction package that includes spending cuts and tax
increases.

Speaking next, McConnell scorched Democrats for threatening to
allow the Bush era tax cuts expire if the GOP doesn’t drop its demand
that they be extended for all.

He said any tax increase would be deeply damaging to the economy.

“We think playing Russian roulette with our economy is a really bad
idea,” he said.

McConnell said the $1.2 trillion in scheduled across-the-board
spending cuts starting in January should be replaced with a different
package of spending cuts that has the same bottom line.

** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

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