In a strategic withdrawal, House Republicans announce plans to pass a short-term debt-limit extension
Congress
The Leverage
Republicans are now talking about raising the debt ceiling, but just for a month or two. That would open up a number of key Fiscal Cliff 2 questions.
By Testing the Gun Lobby, Obama and Biden are Launching a Broader War on the Other Party
It’s been Washington’s worst kept secret: Just what new gun regulations will Barack Obama and Joe Biden recommend in the wake of the Sandy Hill Elementary mass shooting?
House Passes $51 Billion Sandy Relief Bill
78 days after Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast, the House passed a $51 billion package to provide the region with emergency relief as well as funding to undertake long-term structural repairs
Fear of Earmarks Sparks Split in Sandy Aid Bill
House Republicans’ cost-cutting fervor imperils money for Hurricane Sandy relief.
The Next Cliff: Another Round of Debt Brinkmanship Looms
Originally devised as a solution to the last round of debt-limit negotiations, the fiscal cliff instead sets up another round of hostage taking.
The Timing of the Fiscal Cliff
Without a plan to avert the “fiscal cliff,” Congress realistically has two days on which it can pass a bill this year: Dec. 28 and 31.
John Boehner’s Unhappy Holidays
The so-far insurmountable problem for House Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama as they try to reach a budget deal is that nothing matters more to Republicans than fighting taxes.
Creamed by Congress: Farm Bill Inaction May Mean Higher Dairy Prices
Forget defense cuts and tax hikes. If Congress doesn’t act before Jan. 1, the price of milk will skyrocket, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
As Cliff Deal Takes Shape, Congressional Leaders Prepare for a Tough Sell
Now comes the unpredictable part of the capitol’s high-stakes dealmaking: the rest of the people’s representatives are about to take center stage.
Entitlement Cuts Loom as Obstacle to Fiscal Cliff Deal
Obama has expressed willingness to cut a deal that scales back federal entitlements, but many Democrats are loath to agree to cuts.
Chained CPI: Is Changing the Government Inflation Formula the Secret to a Deficit Deal?
Washington is full of speculation this week as Democrats and Republicans examine different ways to cut spending, raise revenue and reform entitlements to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff.” One policy getting more attention is a new way for the government to calculate inflation.
![157538080[1]](http://timeswampland.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/1575380801.jpg?w=480&h=320&crop=1 "157538080[1]")
Obama Won’t Budge on Top Tax Rates
Barack Obama dug in Tuesday on his demand that any bargain to avert the so-called fiscal cliff include an agreement to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, warning that a deal would not be reached before the Jan. 1 deadline …
