–Senate Majority Leader: Republican Tax Intransigence Causing Havoc
–Fate of Fiscal Cliff ‘Is All Up to the Republicans’
–‘All They Have To Do Is Give Some Revenues’

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday
the disruptive effects that would be caused by the U.S. going over the
fiscal cliff can be averted if Republicans will agree to a deficit
reduction package that includes additional revenues.

At a briefing with his Senate Democratic leadership team, Reid said
the U.S. does not need to go over the fiscal cliff.

“It can be avoided. It’s all up to Republicans,” Reid said.

“All they have to do is give some revenues,” he said of
Republicans, adding that Democrats are seeking a “little bit of help
with revenues.”

Reid has said for months that Democrats are eager to replace the
fiscal cliff with a broad deficit reduction package that includes both
spending cuts and tax increases.

Reid and his leadership team said the Senate would hold votes in
the coming weeks on Democratic and Republican tax plans.

The Democratic plan calls for extending all Bush era tax cuts for
families making $250,000 or less. The GOP plan calls for extending all
the Bush era tax cuts.

At a briefing earlier in the day, House Speaker John Boehner said
the House is doing all it can to avert the fiscal cliff and blasted
Senate Democrats and President Obama for what he said is the uncertainty
surrounding the fiscal cliff.

“The House has acted to replace the sequester,” Boehner said,
referring to House passage of a package of spending cuts to replace the
scheduled $110 billion in spending cuts for the 2013 fiscal year that
are set to begin in January.

Boehner said that Obama and Reid worked to prevent the Super
Committee from reaching a deficit reduction agreement last fall.

Boehner repeated that the House will vote later this month to
extend the Bush era tax cuts for a year and said the Democratic plan to
extend tax cuts only for those making $250,000 or less would “tank” the
American economy.

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

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