After another day of deliberation and negotiation on Sunday, America stands one step closer to the edge of the fiscal cliff — and with fewer than 48 hours to go, no deal for the House to vote on and plenty of finger-pointing, things are looking bleak.
As the Senate adjourned for the night, Democrat and Republican Senators seemed no closer to reaching a compromise. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnnell were at odds, as POLITICO reported, as each side presented a cacophony of potential agreements throughout the day. Both Reid and McConnell gave statements on the Senate floor and declared that the talks had flatlined for the time being.
“There is still significant distance between the two sides, but negotiations continue,” Reid said.
Vice President Joe Biden was called in to Washington to take part in the negotiations as well. His participation was specially requested by McConnell, who worked with Biden in the Senate for more than 20 years.
“I want everyone to know I’m willing to get this done, but I need a dance partner,” McConnell said.
At the end of the day, it seemed like Biden and McConnell were taking up the weight of the talks. When asked about progress, Reid responded, “Talk to Biden and McConnell.”
President Obama appeared on NBC‘s “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning, blaming Republicans for having “trouble saying yes to a number of repeated offers.” He said Republicans were more concerned about protecting the wealthy from tax increases than anything else. He added, “The pressure’s on Congress to produce.”
Speaker of the House John Boehner rebuked the President for his finger-pointing.
“Americans elected President Obama to lead, not cast blame,” Boehner said, as reported by USA TODAY.
With the talks stranded, leaders on both sides of the aisle are trying to broker ‘fall-back’ deals. The President’s plan “would allow tax hikes on those with incomes above $250,000 and include other must-pass year-end measures,” according to The Los Angeles Times. And if Republicans move to filibuster Obama’s plan, they would put themselves in an extremely unpopular political spot — namely allowing a tax increase to hit middle class families.
The Senate will be back in session at 11 a.m. EST on Monday, and Reid expressed hope that the morning would bring progress. The whole nation joins him in that hope as it stares at the ever-approaching cliff.
