House version (Via Instapundit):
Congressmen John Carter[*] (R-TX) and Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) yesterday introduced the Geithner Penalty Waiver Act, requiring that the IRS assess the same penalty against U.S. taxpayers that came forward in the UBS tax fraud investigation as paid by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for failing to pay taxes on his IMF income — zero.
Pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it? I like Rep. Carter. And not just because of his name.
Senate version (Via Don Surber):
In their first shot at the measure this week, Republicans decided to try to strike at the heart of how Democrats plan to pay for the $848 billion measure by attempting to eliminate the proposal’s almost $440 billion in Medicare cuts.
But instead of offering a conventional amendment, they decided to use an esoteric procedural tactic that would send the bill back to committee with instructions to eliminate the cuts. If successful, the GOP’s gambit would force Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to use time-consuming procedures and hold another filibuster-killing vote on whether to restart debate on the bill.
That takes it off the floor, requires another committee vote, delays the bill, and ticks off Senate Democrats. The ‘delays the bill’ part is probably the most important thing, here: health care rationing just isn’t popular these days.
Moe Lane
PS: Arcane procedural tactics are fun, but they’re no substitute for a Congressional majority. Reverse the Vote.
Crossposted to Moe Lane.
Steve Maley
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
Yay
anotherindyfilmguy (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 12:47PM EST (link)etc… can they kill the monstrosity now?
Somehow I dough the zero penalty thing will make it through… without penalties the IRS becomes toothless and a lot of folks might stop paying taxes…
would be nice though…
Santorum? Well, at least he’s not Romney…
http://www.zazzle.com/enemy_of_the_statist_tshirt-235977043035297478
I am absolutely NO fan of John McCain but you hit on something
eburke (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 12:52PM EST (link)that I think was missed by the folks on our side when they were excoriating McCain the other day for having proposed this (an excoriation which I totally understand because John’s stabbed us in the back so many times that, well, you just sort of come to expect it).
The fact that this wasn’t just an ammendment to add back Medicare cuts *but to send it back to committee* was nicely executed for the reasons you mentioned: if the Dems vote against the ammendment, they’re on record as supporting Medicare cuts; if they vote for the ammendment, they’ve just sent the whole kit-and-kaboodle back to committee which means there has to be *another* vote to bring it to the floor.
It was a brilliant move, IMHO. What flummoxes me is how McCain came up with this. That Ras poll showing JD Hayworth within 2 points of him must have him really spooked ’cause there ain’t enough cannibas in the world to get me to believe he did this out of conservative principles (’cause ya can’t use what you ain’t got)
Anyway, great catch Moe (as usual). And *this* is why you get the big bucks!
“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
Agreed. I can get on board with that...
mschmitt (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 3:51PM EST (link)… eliminating the Medicare cuts may make the bill more politically appealing on the surface; but it’ll potentially hamstring the blue dogs and prevent them from supporting it if they value their political futures.
The danger of it is if the bill still passes we’ll get an additional 500bn of big government (so, here’s hoping that their calculus is correct).
usque ad finem
but in my mind it's not the restoration of the cuts
eburke (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 4:08PM EST (link)that’s the beauty of this move, it’s the fact that the ammendment aims to restore the cuts in conjunction with a motion to recommit the bill to committee. That puts *everyone*, liberals and ‘Blue Dogs’, between a rock and a hard place from different perspectives.
Besides, as far as getting an ‘additional 500 billion’ of big government, you and I both know that hell will freeze over before those cuts are actually enacted. They’re just subterfuge so that the socialists can claim that the plan is “revenue neutral”.
Right!
“All that need be done for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Unified Patriots
Agreed. (nt)
IJB Wednesday, December 2nd at 6:25PM EST (link)John Carter is my Congressman.
barrypopik (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 8:51PM EST (link)A bit better than the representation that I had in New York City!
Move to Texas!
I've got better representation moving East than I did in SouthEast San Antonio
Richard Mullins (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 11:24PM EST (link)Yes, my congressman in TX-02 is much better than Ciro D Rodriguez. I really don’t like Ciro and if I want to a Shooting range, I want to have his picture for Target practice.
Richard Phillip Mullins BlogThe Squash Satire SiteNews on Happy Jet Airlines
Rmullins Pics
Rpmullins Twitter
Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
heading down to SE San Antonio next week...
DONTREADONME (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 11:30PM EST (link)brooks city-base. Nice place second time out there.
Don't forget to stop by Espada dam
Richard Mullins (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 11:39PM EST (link)along with many other places. Have you ever seen centrifuge(or what ever there called)? The Air Museum at Stinson Municipal airport has one that was once at Brooks. I wondered what happened when the monkeys where in it. Please don’t forget to TP Ciro D Rodriguez office on SE Military and if you have a Black and White picture let me know. I want to have him for Target practice.
Richard Phillip Mullins BlogThe Squash Satire SiteNews on Happy Jet Airlines
Rmullins Pics
Rpmullins Twitter
Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
will do, I will be staying hotel near SE military...
DONTREADONME (Diary) Thursday, December 3rd at 12:26AM EST (link)last time I was in San Ant. I stayed at some old hotel in the city above the river walk, I think it was the Sheraton Inn 100+ years old or something. Last time I was in town saw the zoo and walked the entire river walk, do not know where the dam is?
Between Roosevelt Ave and South Presa
Richard Mullins (Diary) Thursday, December 3rd at 12:32AM EST (link)and Ciro’s office at 1313 SE Military Drive is very close to it. It’s right next to Mission Park south(Funeral Home). I don’t think you could miss it.
Richard Phillip Mullins BlogThe Squash Satire SiteNews on Happy Jet Airlines
Rmullins Pics
Rpmullins Twitter
Joe Biden is like a Decrepit Park owner with a Meth lab that happens to not only be a dealer but a user.
Let’s Bankrupt the Democratic paty. Make spend all the money to defend thier candidates.
Heading to San Antonio in February.
Danielle Davis (ocleverone) (Diary) Thursday, December 3rd at 1:04AM EST (link)I can’t wait – it’s a beautiful city.
To me, “consensus” seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects … There are still people in my party who believe in “consensus” politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors … I mean it. — Margaret Thatcher
Small suggestion for Carter's fantastic amendment
SoFiMil (Diary) Wednesday, December 2nd at 11:09PM EST (link)Instead of explicitly naming Secretary Geithner, use two pages of Harry Reid type language describing the Secretary without actually naming him (ala the Louisiana Purchase).
www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com