Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell walks toward his office on Capitol Hill Sunday. The House and Senate are both in session to deal with the looming “fiscal cliff” issue.
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On the Senate floor Sunday, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced that the fiscal cliff negotiations were stalled.
NPR’s David Welna reports the GOP’s latest offer was made Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET, but had yet to receive a response.
Following McConnell on the Senate floor, Democratic Sen. Harry Reid confirmed that his party was currently unable to make a counteroffer. While McConnell has shown “good faith,” Reid said, some pretty big issues still divide them.
In addition to speaking with Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, McConnell said he’s also called Vice President Joe Biden “to see if he could help jump-start the negotiations on their side.” McConnell said he has worked with Biden successfully in the past.
“The consequences of this are too high for the American people to be engaged in a political messaging campaign. I’m interested in a result here. And I’m willing to work with whomever can help,” he said.
A GOP aide tells Welna there are a number of sticking points, including taxation levels on large estates and the cut-off point for income levels eligible for extended tax cuts. Welna reports:
“He said Democrats have made two proposals since Friday; Republicans have made four, including their latest from last night.”
“It’s not clear yet how [Biden] might intervene in what’s clearly to become a do-or-die moment in these talks. The Senate GOP and Democratic caucuses are scheduled to meet separately behind closed doors at 3 p.m. to discuss where things stand.”
Any agreement would fall far short of what was initially envisioned, The Associated Press reports. The original idea was to come to a comprehensive agreement that would serve as an alternative to the so-called “fiscal cliff,” the deep, automatic spending cuts and tax increases set to begin on Jan. 1. The AP continues:
“Instead, their compromise, if they do indeed cut a deal, will put off some big decisions about tax and entitlement changes and leave other deadlines in place that will likely lead to similar moments of brinkmanship, some in just a matter of weeks.”
Current negotiations do not include discussion of the nation’s debt limit, for example, even as the country is on the brink of reaching it.
Update at 3:15 p.m. ET. Biden In Washington:
A White House spokesman tells NPR’s Scott Horsley that the vice president is now at the White House and that talks continue.
Article source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/12/30/168308118/mcconnell-appeals-to-biden-to-break-through-fiscal-cliff-logjam?ft=1&f=1001