Boehner Open To Cutting Taxes For 98% Of Americans If That’s His Only Option

by Stuart Shapiro

It looks like the Republicans are caving on the Bush tax cut battle.

Speaking on “Face the Nation” on CBS, Mr. Boehner made clear that he supports continuing the lower tax rates at all income levels and that he believes the Democrats would be making a mistake by increasing taxes on anyone, given the weak economy.

But Mr. Boehner said that absent any other option, he would vote in favor of legislation proposed by President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders who say they want to continue the lower rates only for Americans they regard as middle class.

The left has been saying for a while that the politics on this is as good as the policy.  If Boehner’s announcement holds, once he gets barbecued in the right wing blogosphere (I can’t wait to see what the Club For Growth has to say — maybe they’ll primary Boehner), then this will be a major win for Obama and for the country.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.