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.
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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.
They all need to go!! Top to bottom, no one, not one single person in our government has shown any understanding whatsoever of what it means to be good stewards of the public monies. I say recall them all, every single one, including the President.
Oh I can't believe the GOP can go back and say they voted for tax decreases. And these folks are our leaders? The American people better get smart and vote the idiots out.
I'm not sure who is dumber–house Reps. or the idiots who voted them in.
The GOP Controlled House of Representatives is in my opinion...lower than dirt !!!
I hope The People remember this in two years and vote those SOB's out of Office.
Glad to see Congress found a way to stop time.
So, does this mean we can all pay our taxes on 4/16 and it will be free of the late penalty?
So the same plan in front of the GOP tomorrow looks like a plan to decrease taxes so some would then be ok with it, while that plan today is just a plan to increase taxes for 2% of the country so they won't be ok with it.
Does this seem like the definition of petty and stupid? It does to me. Both sides need a time out, but the GOP takes the cake day in and day out.
Lets put their paychecks on the line, I bet they would have it fixed asap.
The world did not come to an end on Dec 21 and it will not end tonight at midnight! If this bill was so important why did elected officials not start negotiating 2 years ago???
Taxes go up after midnight and I say........Yeah. However, this just means that Norquist wins, they get to honor their treasonous pledge to him by not voting for a tax raise. The GOP.........what a joke. Vote every last one of them out of office, take away all their medical benefits, and retirement plans. Not deserving of the respect of any American.
This Congress will be long remembered as so unproductive that it's criminal – and I certainly that hope the Tea Party contingency owns their dogged obstructionism when the impacts of the plunge over the cliff play out and that the wingnuts who voted for them see the light before the next elections...one can wish...
Politicians are not the only ones to blame. US citizens have expected Congress to put off paying our debt for some time. When will we accept the responsibility?
Obama had the bankers in the most vulnerable position where we could have made financial reform ( separating commercial and investment baking – a lesson learned from 1929 ), but he blinked and rewarded those responsible for the recession.
Republicans have stood their ground on the principle that higher tax rates are not the answer for our national financial crisis. Democrats have stood their ground on wanting the wealthy to pay more while not reigning in government spending. You don't really believe a debt can cause harm, try telling China we can't pay them their $5 trillion!
We are a nation of free people too interested in short-term gratification. While you debate the consequences of the fiscal cliff, maybe you should explain to your children and grand children why they will be making payments on the national debt for decades to come that you benefit from today. I remember the goal was to hand down the nation to the next generation in better shape than we received it. How things change.
Let me get this straight: instead of doing their jobs and meeting the deadline, they're leaving for the day, presumably going out to party and ring in the new year? When the rest of us don't meet the deadlines at our jobs, we get fired.
Up to this point I have backing Republicans, today is it, the Republicans are no longer a sane party. Come 2014 I will vote against anyone from the current congress running for office
The House cannot vote on a piece of legislation that does not exist yet
Until the Senate finish and votes on it the House has nothing to consider
the House of Rep actually passed a bill back in August which the Senate Democrats refused to consider
and to BeverlyNC there is no such thing as a filibuster in the House, it is only done in the Senate
Better to keep you quiet let people think you are a fool that speak out and remove all doubt
then we need to impeach each one of the house members, for breaking their Oath of office
Its now up to the american people to rise and let the congress know they are not going to leave the american people hanging with their stupidity!. Do not be gullible the coming 2014 is all I can say. Get rid of those Tea Party endose congressmen. Otherwise, it will be the demise of the american economy.
Come on people your not following the whole story. The house is doing their part turning down the heat and turn off the lights. That would be better than pay and benefits cuts. We are just poor and don't understand
The markets will crash on wednesday
The tea party terrorists won't stop until they fly planes into buildings. Death to everyone to keep these historically low, economy crushing tax cuts for the super wealthy
Thanks to the House Republicans for going home and shoving the United States over the fiscal cliff. My taxes (and virtually all citizens) go up in 7 hours. I believe Republicans have dramatically demonstrated how much they care about American citizens and the stablity of our Country and the world. Happy New Year John Boehner !
Look at all you liberals whine. It is so funny. This is what you voted for, so stop whining and own it. This President will go down as having the highest tax increase in U.S. history under his watch, not only because of the scary "fiscal cliff," but because of the bloated Obama-care bill as well. Get used to not having money liberals.
The House has passed numerous bills that the Senate refuses to acknowledge. Waiting until the last minute is a game played by Obama and the Democrats. Well, I for one am not surprised, what else could one expect from the Democrats and Obama that for nearly 4 years could not get a budget Passed.. Mr. Reid is the leader , like Obama in name only! I have paid taxes when I worked and still pay taxes now that I am retired. There are those that never paid any taxes and they have more then those who do.
For any worker...you stay till your work is done... how can they in good conscience just leave without voting? No debate needed...didn't the GOP house say they'd vote for whatever the Senate passes?
We need to cut their pay checks instead of social security or medicare. See how fast they reach an agreement of this then. If their pay depended on them actually DOING their jobs we wouldn't have this problem.
Don't ya just love the drama !!!!!!!!!! Wait till the last minute and then some...makes one think it was all planned..?