President Barack Obama already has lost at least one vote among the Democratic Senate caucus for his plan to end the Bush-era tax cuts for those with income of at least $250,000 a year — Connecticut independent Joe Lieberman.
Obama’s plan is “not what we need now,” particularly as it has no chance of passing Congress before the November election, he told
Politico. “It’s not that I don’t think we ought to raise taxes on people that make more money. [Rather] we ought to be focused on achieving a bipartisan, long-term debt-elimination agreement. Tax reform and tax increases would be part of it. I don’t want to pick it off piece by piece.”
Lieberman’s defection may make it more difficult for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to round up 51 votes for Obama’s proposal.
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Other Democratic senators may join Lieberman. For example, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who voted in 2010 against raising taxes for those above the $250,000, declined to say Wednesday which way he would vote. “We’ll be looking at it very strongly” is all he would offer Politico.
Bill Nelson of Florida, who may face a close re-election race this year, said his “preference” is for a threshold of $1 million instead of $250,000. “I’ll talk to you when I’m ready to vote,” Nelson told the news service.
Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jim Webb of Virginia also voted in 2010 against denying a tax-cut extension for those above $250,000. Nelson didn’t express a view one way or the other when asked earlier this week. Webb opposes any tax hikes on ordinary income but supports increases for capital gains and dividends taxes.
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