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December 2, 2010

Senate GOPers Threaten Filibusters to Maintain Tax Cuts for Wealthy
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Senate Republicans are threatening to filibuster every bill until
Democrats agree to extend the Bush-era tax cuts to all income groups.
The Obama administration and many Democrats want to retain the lower
rates only for individuals with an annual income of $200,000 or less and
married couples earning no more than $250,000 a year. The Republican
threat jeopardizes a number of pending measures, including an extension
of unemployment benefits and the repeal of the military’s ban on gay and
lesbian servicemembers known as the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy. It
also came just one day after President Obama met with top Republican
leaders at the White House. On Wednesday, Obama suggested the two sides
would reach a compromise.

President Obama: "There’s going to be some lingering politics that have
to work themselves out, in all the caucuses, Democrat and Republican,
but at the end of the day I think that people of goodwill can come
together and recognize that given where the economy is at right now,
given the struggles that a lot of families are still going through right
now, that we’re going to be able to solve this problem. And I think we
got off to a good start yesterday."



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