Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Kyl: Cut Taxes for Wealthy or GOP Will Block Everything

Posted By on Wed, Dec 1, 2010 at 3:14 PM

Talking Points Memo reports that Sen. Jon Kyl now wants $700 billion in tax cuts for America's richest households or Democrats can forget about getting anything accomplished, including the New START treaty:

Republicans say no Senate business until tax cuts are extended and the government is funded — presumably on terms favorable to the GOP. That apparently includes the START treaty. And now the man leading the resistance to ratifying the treaty during the lame duck says Dems have until Monday to come to terms with Republicans on those two issues.

"If the taxes all can't be resolved and voted on and completed and spending for the government for the next ten months completed by like next Monday, I don't know how there's enough time to complete START," Kyl told The Hill.

Remember, Kyl isn't just the driving force opposing START ratification. He's also the Senate Republicans top tax cut negotiator in bipartisan discussions with the White House. Some suspected that his participation would lead to a compromise involving ratification, but that will only happen if Republicans say so.

Read the whole thing here.