UPDATE 4:03 p.m. ET: The House of Representatives will not vote Monday on any potential fiscal cliff deal, meaning the U.S. is technically headed over the fiscal cliff. The House will wrap up Monday around 6:30 p.m. ET. After a House GOP Conference meeting at 5 p.m. ET they will have one vote series and then head out for the evening.
Washington (CNN) - House GOP sources told CNN the House is increasingly unlikely to vote on any fiscal cliff package until New Year's Day, after the midnight deadline and after tax rates have technically already gone up.
The reason is partly about process, but the benefit is political.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
House GOP sources said the main reason the House is not likely to vote before the deadline is because the deal is not yet done, and it still has to go through the Senate–which takes time.
GOP leaders prefer to vote in broad daylight, sources said, instead of in the middle of the night.
"There is no difference in voting at 2 a.m. than tomorrow at 4 p.m.," one of the GOP sources said.
GOP sources admitted there is an added benefit to the Senate's delay: taxes would already be up, so lawmakers could argue that they are voting for tax cuts, as opposed to tax increases.
One GOP source also said that may help get more House Republicans to vote for the deal.
"I wouldn't overestimate it, but a handful may be the difference we need," the source said.
Publicly, House Republican leaders and aides say they remain in a holding pattern until details are released from negotiations between Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and members are being told to stick around the Capitol.
I say let's go over the cliff, let's put taxes back to the way they were when Clinton was president (which were very high taxes for everyone), let's put things back to the 1990s and just deal with it. Americans always find a way to deal with things and higher taxes starting tomorrow is no different than other things we have to deal with.
Small business will just have to get used to higher taxes and find creative ways to deal with it, we always do.
Nothing is easy in life. The worst that will happen is that people will have to re-budget their spending, cut a few corners and accomodate. Small business will have to cut back, cut down and accomodate and if any employees are fired, well, they can collect unemployment. But, bottom line, we need to go back to the 1990s taxes which were high if it will get our country back on track. Let's go over the cliff as Democrats have said and definitely get rid of the Bush Tax Cuts.
This may well be the GOP's last chance to destroy our government, a task that even al Qaida could not achieve.
"GOP sources admitted there is an added benefit to the Senate's delay: taxes would already be up, so lawmakers could argue that they are voting for tax cuts, as opposed to tax increases."
Only someone extremely simple minded would fall for this. Plus, since they voted for the rates to go up eventually, they automatically voted to raise rates already.
@ghostriter – "simple minded" describes the GOP base the pols so fear.
More to the point – there will no new chapters added to Profiles in Courage. All the current crop of pols care about is getting themselves reelected.
ghostriter
"GOP sources admitted there is an added benefit to the Senate's delay: taxes would already be up, so lawmakers could argue that they are voting for tax cuts, as opposed to tax increases."
Only someone extremely simple minded would fall for this. Plus, since they voted for the rates to go up eventually, they automatically voted to raise rates already.
------------------------------
Pointing out the hypocrisy of the Norquist Pledge requires too much original thought for some people to understand.
The fiscal cliff is NOT going back to the tax rates under Clinton... there was an AMT patch in place under Clinton that will not be there if we go over the cliff. Result is tax increase for singles with income over 30k and married over 45k. Go to
Way to go GOP!! By making such a stand, you will once again show your true colors to the United States, it's more about saving your own job than those of the people that elected you. When Mr. Cantor comes back to my district and tells me he voted to lower the taxes, I for one will not believe a word he says....
from 1948 to1964 the highest marginal tax rate was between 85 and 91 percent on income above 400k.
this period experienced the largest expansion of the middle class and full employment. The wealthy got richer, they did not leave. Now they are ready to leave over 4 cents on income above 250k.
America takes a note how these little children act. Are you really proud representing by these people?
The GOP is trying to implode and will become a :"RumpParty" unless a decent CEO is put in place and the GOP throws the toxic Tea Party under the bus. The Rea Party has done more damage to America than Osama bin Laden. Their next action will be to create gridlock on increasing the country's debt limit, which will cause another hit to our credit rating, and more blame for the GOP. the Republican Party leadership (which may be an oxymoron) needs to get its heads out of where the sun don't shine and recognize reality. Last year's lies will no longer work.
Millions of unemployed Americans will soon be penniless, and the Republican Party will appropriately get the blame for it.
Holy cow! And we wonder why we are in the tank with that quality of thinking. The American people are not amused by Congress or the White House and all their games.
It is outrageous that the House of Representatives is playing politics at this late state of the negotiations. The Republicans have sold out to Grover Nordquist, instead of representing the American people. Why elect Republicans
if their positions are subject to contracts they have already made with a single individual instead of the will of the people? This is not Democracy. This is not representative government. Serious consideration should be given to recall movements to remove these Republicans who are beholden to Grover Nordquist. Let Grover Nordquist pay
their salaries. They don't represent me. RECALL THEM NOW
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers...Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ORDINANCE OF GOD, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation"...For he is the Minister of God to thee for Good" (Romans 13)
GOP-Good Old Putz
Who makes 450k?? Now even Doctors are also not making. They are hardly paid 130k. It is silly. They should go for 250k or more.
"Dumb as hell", but technically, well it's still "dumb as hell".
"Greatest nation on earth...?" More like a banana-republic political farce.
I cant wait for the 2014 elections. It's my sincere desire to see all republicans on unemployment. Also, when their benefits run out, I'd like to see how much they can crawl, and beg to see their next meal. They love to dish it. Lets see if they can take it.
It is this kind of underhanded thought process by Republicans that put us in this mess. By doing this they will get exactly what they want AND be able to "claim" they cut taxes. This is so disgusting I am feeling physically ill right now. If the President and Democrats do not stand up to these cretins, the next 4 years will be exactly the same as the last with Obama caving at the last minute on every GOP demand. Has he not learned that Republicans have no sense of duty or responsibility to this country and it's people?
If the House has any backbone they will not cave to Obama.
But all they are worried about is the next election.
They being both Dems and Repubs.
Happy New Year to all of my fellow Democrats and any Independents and Republicans who were wise enough to vote for Obama. Cheers to Obama and Jeers to the Repuglican House. What a pack of 'tards the GOP lackeys to Norquist have become. Will their idiotic Tea Party base believe the postcard mailers the GOP sends out in 2014 extolling their heroic fight to lower taxes on the middle class? My magic eight ball says it is decidedly so. This is nothing but pure political manipulation of GOP voters who are too dumb to know the difference or too brainwashed with religiosity to admit the truth.
Elections have consequences. Obama and the Dems won – so let all of the tax rate reductions expire. Let those who voted for Obama and the Dems help to pay for the nanny government that they want. Or did you all want someone else to foot the bill?
Screw them all! Congress has had 14 months to deal with this. Instead, the House chose to put up bills about reproduction (failed) Gay marraige (failed) 200+ bogus invetigations ( Thanks usless Darryl Issas!) They waited for the election ( they lost seats and the Presidency) but never bothered to address this issue in advance. Not once. RECALL everyone of them!
At midnight the British will raise their glasses and cheer God Save the Queen. In the U.S., Americans will raise their glasses and usher in 2013 with a collective groan of God Save Us From The Fiscal Cliff of the GOP.
Other news sites are reporting that a deal has been made on tax increases but not not on spending cuts. What a shock. The so called" party of no" compromised and will raise taxes, but when it comes to the Dems being willing to reduce expenditures.....well they just aren't that into it......