Washington (CNN) - Don't expect negotiations for a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" to heat up this week.
Senior administration officials said the offer House Speaker John Boehner submitted to the White House on Monday wasn't serious enough to merit a counter-proposal from the administration. So the president's team plans to wait for the GOP to come around on the idea of raising tax rates or let the nation go over the fiscal cliff.
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In a statement Monday White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer blasted the Republican plan, arguing it "does not meet the test of balance. In fact, it actually promises to lower rates for the wealthy and sticks the middle class with the bill."
These officials argued the proposal was a step backward in the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations.
The White House insisted the new offer from Boehner included less revenue than the debt talks of 2011 and too few specifics about how to achieve Medicare savings.
The GOP proposal includes $2.2 trillion in deficit savings over the next decade, $800 billion from tax reform, $600 billion from Medicare reforms and other health savings and $600 billion in other spending cuts.
The White House offered a framework last week that included $1.6 trillion in new taxes, $50 billion in additional stimulus spending and $400 billion in savings from Medicare and other entitlements.
"Until the Republicans in Congress are willing to get serious about asking the wealthiest to pay slightly higher tax rates, we won't be able to achieve a significant, balanced approach to reduce our deficit," Pfeiffer said Monday in his statement.
Obama and those in his administration have said there will be no deal without an increase in current rates for individuals making over $200,000 a year, and couples making over $250,000 a year.
Senior administration officials said they are confident the public will blame Republicans and not the president if the United States reaches the end of the year without a deal to avert the fiscal cliff.
The latest developments Monday leave negotiations largely at a standstill.
Senior administration officials said they are open to conversations and other offers.
In the meantime, members of Congress will have an opportunity to socialize and perhaps talk policy with the president Monday night when he hosts a black-tie holiday reception for members of Congress at the White House.
From CNN Politics
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Obama will suffer no one disagreeing with him. He is the King.
The first thing Obama did after the election was to invite moveon.org and union bosses to discuss the fiscal cliff, so it's clear Obama isn't serious.
Leave it to Obama to become obsessed with raising taxes. Why? Because this is a political game and unemployed Americans are his pawns. Plenty of people say to leave the politics out of these efforts. But Obama has chosen to leave out the economics instead. He has no clue and unfortunately the ones who pay are the least fortunate among us.
This is the worst of the worst for the citizens. I don't know if you're seeing it, I see that both Obama and the Republicans do not care about the fiscal cliff going into effect, they do not care what happens to the people. This is the lowest point this country has ever been, way, way, lower than the Bush years. I'm actually thinking where is Bush when you need him. Don't know where to turn to now. This country is really in a mess.
You don't counter an offer that was already rejected by the majority of American voters. It simply wasn't serious, just something to fill a void.
I feel like the geico piggy.. weeeeeeeee weeeeeeee.. it will only hurt for a little while.. 2014 tick tick
This GOP Congress yield only to the wealthiest Americans and work for and are paid by Lobbyist. Millions of dollars were put on Romney's campaign coffers by the wealthiest and he didn't win, it's time to get rid of this Congress just like we sent Romney packing. They just don't get it and it's time to let them know whose the real boss, Americans unite and throw them out.
The republicans are completely out of control and they are NOT going to stop the obstruction and continueing to make the people of this nation suffer more. They need to be thrown out of office period.
I would be happy if would could stop this silly game and jump off the cliff right now. End Bush Tax Cuts, brings in revenue at all levels, brings cuts to the bloated Defense budget, and hopefully sends a message to the GOP to dump the TEA while they have the chance.
Buckle up my friends, over the cliff we gooooooooooooooo! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
There's absolutely no reason to counter Boehner's offer, as it was a very bad joke.
Here's hoping some adults wander into the GOP and talk sense into the wee children trying to destroy the economy because the election didn't go their way.
Wrong answer by the administration. They put out their wish list, and now the Republicans have put out their wish list. Now let's get down to the real negotiating.
The president does not want our country to thrive so he's playing games to distract from the real facts. It is incomprehensible that he was voted in for a second term. We are all going to suffer. Notice how much he cares about the suffering – entertaining at the White House and Kennedy honors and vacations to Hawaii on taxpayer's money. Why is he not working day and night to reconcile our fiscal stability? That is his job!
When it doesn't make sense and refuses to make those who earn so much more to pay more.
Oracle moves 2013 dividends up to beat possible tax hike .
Larry Ellison , greed is good !
The White House proposes a plan, and the Republicans scoff at it. The Republicans propose a plan and the White House scoffs at it. It is completely predictable. How is an independent observer supposed to figure out who is to blame if no agreement is reached? Obviously Democrat supporters will blame the Republicans, and Republican supporters will blame the Democrats. But forget all that noise (and there will be plenty of it). Where is the truth?
Yep, as the article said, one section really wants us to go off the cliff. REALLY wants it to happen. Chalk up one more for the globalists.
Can we please get some details as to where the weight of the Repub's tax reforms would fall and why that can't be part of the Dems plan? Let's stop reporting and governing by sound bites.
Boehner's "proposal" is so ridiculous there is nothing to respond to. Does Boehner not realize Republicans lost the election in a landslide on the very same policy plans Boehner is again trying to sell the middle class down the river on??? I guess Republicans are ready to give up the House in 2014 to the Democrats. Let the fiscal cliff happen. We lose the Bush tax cuts, get the bloated Defense budget cut, and then having the American People blame Republicans for yet again for more games with middle class lives and the credit rating of the US when the debt ceiling comes up again. The Republican Party is self-destructing.
Let the gop run the country off the cliff and the taxes go up and then introduce legislation to lower taxes on the 98%of Americans and let the gop vote against it and violation their pledge to the crook lobbyist norquest who sells the gop congressmens vote to the highest bidder.political sucide for the gop !!!
Boehner submitted the same tried-and-failed policies that American voters soundly rejected in November.
Alright already, we get it, John. You have to spew your usual GOP nonsense so you can tell your base you tried to get your way but mean ol' President Obama said no. WHATEVER! Get on with seriously addressing our nation's economic challenges! Grow a pair, step up and DO YOUR JOB!
The GOP put together an offer based off of the one Erskine Bowles pitched to Obama. Of course Obama is going to turn it down. The deficit has never been his concern. Look at how he failed to negotiate with his own deficit commission.
Why won't Republicans do what the majority of the people in the United States want them to do. Don't they represent their state in Congress? All they have to do is agree to preventing the tax rate for the middle class to go up, while letting the wealthy pay what they used to pay before Bush' tax break. What is so difficult about that.
Both proposals should now be submitted to Economist experts and let them voice which one is better. At least Republicans have finally put forth a proposal though. I think its wrong for the White house to not submit a counter proposal. In the meantime Pelosi should force the senate tax cuts bill onto the floor for a vote.
Which part does the GOP not get. "We do not want what Mitt Romney was offering". Maybe they will get it come 2014. By then it will be late. The country will then be rid of them, hopefully for good. CLINTON 2016