Stalemate a losing strategy
Published 2:51 pm Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Congress, which had been running neck-and-neck with Greece for Worst Performance in Government in 2011, will be hard to catch now.
Less than a week before Christmas, members have scattered out of Washington without extending the payroll tax holiday for 160 million Americans. Barring a last-minute deal — holding your breath is not recommended — those workers will see their paychecks get 2 percent lighter starting Jan. 1.
Economists have warned that failing to extend this temporary tax break could nudge the fragile economy back toward recession, which makes sense. The U.S. economy is dependent on consumer spending, which is dependent on consumer confidence. Few things undermine that like a pay cut.
Americans are angry, of course. But on that score, Congress had little to lose. Its disapproval rating of 83 percent in the latest Gallup poll is the highest since Gallup started measuring it 30 years ago.
Still, no one wants to take the blame for taxes rising on the middle class at a time like this. Democrats are pointing fingers at Republicans, and vice versa. But this time, most of the egg is squarely on the faces of Republicans, whose political ineptitude even drew the wrath of the staunchly conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board, which equated them to a circular firing squad.
After long negotiations, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate compromised last week on a two-month extension of the payroll tax holiday, and extended unemployment benefits, buying time to reach an agreement for the rest of the year. The GOP won a significant concession, forcing President Obama to make a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline (environmentalists oppose it; unions support it) within 60 days rather than waiting until after the 2012 election.
The House GOP leader, Speaker John Boehner, didn’t object to the stop-gap deal when asked repeatedly about it, signaling that the House would go along. So the Senate approved the compromise overwhelmingly — all but seven Republicans voted for it — and adjourned for the holidays.
After they were gone, House Republicans revolted, forcing Boehner to demand that senators return for further negotiations. Why they did so is hard to figure. Tea party favorites who months ago were dissing the payroll tax holiday’s impact on the economy now insisted a two-month extension wasn’t enough, that only a full year would do. Which is it? Who knows?
This supposedly principled caucus, swept into power a year ago with so much fanfare, remains remarkably directionless. Its inability to participate effectively in the legislative process threatens to derail a fragile economic recovery.
Perpetual stalemate is no way to run a government. But when it comes to governing, one wonders whether House Republicans really have much interest.
