A farm bill extension will be part of a Reid-McConnell agreement. If there is one.

Image by Scott Olson / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — With one day left to avert the fiscal cliff, Congress looks poised to at least avoid going over the second-most prominent legislative ledge this year: The so-called "dairy cliff."

This secondary cliff, unrelated to the fiscal cliff and stemming instead from the five-year farm bill that expired earlier this year, would see milk prices roughly double, rising a few dollars per gallon if Congress failed to extend the existing farm law.

It is now expected that Congress will approve such an extension. The question is what form it will take.

If Senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell strike a deal to address the rash of tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1, a nine-month extension of the farm bill will be included in that package, said a Democratic Senate source with knowledge of the negotiations.

Should Reid and McConnell not agree to a compromise, however, a nine-month extension, drafted by the agriculture committee leaders in each chamber, has also been introduced in the House, and would likely garner the votes to pass independently.

“If a new farm bill is not passed in the next few days, Agriculture Committee leaders in both chambers and both parties have developed a responsible short-term farm bill extension that not only stops milk prices from spiking, but also prevents eventual damage to our entire agriculture economy," Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said in a statement Sunday.

Less likely options to extend farm policy, which could be voted on by the House, include approving it the law for only another month, or approving only an extension of dairy price regulations.

In any event, Congress would again face a dairy cliff, as well as general uncertainty in agricultural markets, in the near term until a new five-year farm bill is approved — but there are many disagreements still to hash out.

In the House in particular, Republicans and Democrats have butted heads over the extent to which food stamps, also included in the bill, should be cut; meanwhile, conservative Republicans have held up the bill over concerns that it spends too much on farm subsidies, which farm-state lawmakers support.

Despite that gridlock, there was not serious panic among lawmakers that milk prices would be allowed to rise; an extension of the existing law was always a viable option. But the agriculture committee chairs hoped Senate and House leadership would accept a five-year bill over an extension, and thus pushed for a bigger deal for as long as possible.

Now, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas has said he plans to begin anew the work to remove those remaining obstacles to a five-year farm bill at the end of February.

In the meantime, a few provisions that might have been nixed from, or diminished in, a new farm bill will survive for at least a few months more, including direct payments to farmers to not grow certain crops.

"They're the fucking zombies that never die," said one Senate Democratic aide of the payments. "No one wants them. But they're going to continue on."

A blood clot between her brain and skull, doctors say.

Satellite trucks set up outside New York Presbyterian's Milstein Hospital Building, where Secretary Clinton is receiving treatment for a blood clot on the 9th floor in a VIP wing.

Image by Ruby Cramer/Buzzfeed

Ten TV news satellite trucks stood vigil outside the Milstein Hospital Building at New York Presbyterian before sun-up Monday morning on a freezing-cold New Year's Eve, waiting for a trace of the Secretary of State.

Hillary Clinton, receiving treatment for a blood clot, was inside — or, at least, that was the idea.

"We don't even know if this is the right building," said one photog setting up a live-shot for a network morning news show. "Just because there are trucks here, doesn't mean she's here."

But a hospital administrator told BuzzFeed that Clinton is in fact inside the building — on lock-down on the 9th floor of the hospital, in what he called "the VIP wing" — where he said he'd seen her himself.

"Oh, she's here," he said. "You can't get near her. She's got secret service up there, too."

(Clinton is sometimes guarded by Secret Service and sometimes by diplomatic security; it wasn't clear which group was on duty Monday.)

That 9th floor VIP wing is the same place President Bill Clinton, her husband, underwent bypass surgery in 2004.

The administrator, who arrived at the hospital early Monday morning, estimated Clinton had 15 to 20 people in the hold with her, where the entire wing had been closed off.

"When I got here there was only one truck," he said, pointing at the satellite cars across the street. "Then it was like — boom, boom, boom, boom — everyone was here."

But the corner of Fort Washington Avenue and 168th Street was quiet. Standing camera kits lit up the block, but no sign of Clinton or increased security could be seen. Reporters and producers would step outside their SUVs and set up their cameras — "the State Department isn't giving us much in the way of information" — only to shuffle back inside their warm cars a moment later.

Confusion persisted among the press — and even hospital staffers — who gathered outside the Milstein building during the early morning.

"What's all this for," said one hospital employee on her way into the building, dressed in scrubs, not knowing the Secretary was inside receiving treatment.

By 8 a.m., some of the satellite trucks were packing up shop. A local camera crew said they were staying put. "We've got another show at 12," they said. "And plus we're waiting for Bubba to show up."

When asked to confirm the details of Clinton's stay, a hospital spokeswoman referred the request to the State Department. Philippe Reines, Clinton's personal spokesman, did not immediately return a request for comment.

In a statement released late Sunday night, Reines said Clinton was undergoing treatment with anti-coagulants for the blood clot, "stemming from the concussion she sustained several weeks ago."

“Keep the pressure on — and let’s see if we can get this thing done,” Obama says.

Image by  Evan Vucci / AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama announced Monday afternoon that a deal to avert a middle class tax hike "is in sight, but it’s not done.”

Speaking from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House Complex before a group of "middle class Americans" Obama highlighted the progress that has been made in negotiations between Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, saying that a deal is within reach by the end of the day, but that more action will be needed in the coming weeks and months.

"Keep the pressure on — and let’s see if we can get this thing done," Obama said, adding, "They're close — but they're not there yet."

But in a sign that a deal is close, an upbeat Obama took an early victory lap, noting that the draft proposals would raise tax rates for the rich, after weeks of Republicans saying they would not compromise on the issue.

“Obviously the agreement that is being discussed would raise those rates, and raise them permanently," he said.

"There’s been progress, but we need to more," Obama said, bemoaning Congress' inability to agree to a grand bargain to reduce the deficit.

Looking ahead to the fight Republicans are pushing over raising the debt ceiling, Obama said revenues must be part of any future deficit agreement.

Tax rates go up, and spending down, at midnight. And then Congress gets to congratulate itself on voting for tax cuts.

Image by Harry Hamburg / AP

WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Monday evening agreed to a stop gap measure to stave off economic calamity resulting from the nation tipping over the fiscal cliff.

Sources in the administration and Capitol Hill said the deal would redefine "wealthy" to include those making $400,000 or more a year and includes a two-month postponement of the so-called "sequester" — a series of deep defense and domestic spending cuts.

Biden was meeting with Senate Democrats Monday night to explain the deal. Although Democrats are very unhappy with the agreement — numerous Senate aides called it a "sell out" of basic Democratic principles by the Obama White House — they were nevertheless expected to fall in line.

It was still unclear whether the Senate would actually voten New Years Eve on the agreement, although there was no chance a final deal would be in place before the nation went over the fiscal cliff at midnight.

The House of Representatives will not vote Monday on a package of tax and spending changes, meaning that they cannot be passed into law before the New Year's Eve deadline. The Senate could still vote on the agreement.

The dramatic sounding changes compelled by the "cliff," however, are still likely to happen in name only, after Sunday night negotiations between Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell produced a deal on taxes. And indeed Congressional staffers played down the cable news doomsaying that surrounds the blown deadline. Congressional staffers said Monday that they hope to vote on legislation before Thursday, when the next Congress is sworn in. Stock markets were closed when news of the Congressional failure broke Monday; they reopen Wednesday.

"If a deal is reached, there is little substantive difference between a vote at midnight and a vote tomorrow," said one House Republican aide.

"We've got to get this done before the next Congress. Things get considerably more complicated if we don't," said a senior Senate Republican staffer.

And the key policy agreement appears to have been reached: The deal would set the threshold for income tax hikes at $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples, raise the estate tax rate to 40 percent on estates larger than $5 million, and permanently extend the Alternative Minimum Tax.

"All of the details of the tax piece are finalized. They're done," one Senate GOP aide said.

They will also be easier for politicians to stomach on Tuesday, when the Bush tax cuts have technically expired, and any of the tax alternatives will technically become a "tax cut."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed the deal in a statement delivered on the Senate floor.

"I can report that we have reached an agreement on all of the tax issues," McConnell said, urging a vote on that portion of a deal as soon as possible.

The agreement would also extend unemployment insurance — without paying for it.

Details regarding for how the sequester will be extended are still being hashed out by senate negotiators.

"We'll continue to work on finding smarter ways to cut spending," McConnell said.

But not all senators were pleased with the deal. Shortly after news of the agreement broke, Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown, Al Franken and a "handful of other Democratic senators marched into Reid's office...to tell him they didn't like the deal," a Democratic Senate aide said.

Of course, a compromise between McConnell and Biden doesn’t necessarily mean the agreement can pass. McConnell won’t agree to anything his conference would revolt against, nor is he likely to back a deal that would barely squeak through the chamber.

The biggest remaining question is whether the agreement can actually get buy-in from House Speaker John Boehner. The Ohio Republican and his leadership team will likely stay mum on the details of the deal until after the Senate votes on the agreement, a senior GOP aide said.

“I don’t expect Boehner to take any ownership of this thing,” the aide said, noting that if the fiscal cliff deal garners upwards of 80 votes in the Senate, then Boehner and his team will likely begin pushing aggressively for its passage.

That level of support in the Senate would likely mean at least some of the chamber’s conservatives would back the agreement, which in turn should mean Boehner will have little trouble rounding up Republican votes.

Significantly, aides said Boehner remains committed to the so-called “Hastert Rule” that requires the bill to have majority Republican support before being brought to the floor. Boehner’s devotion to the informal rule has caused him headaches in the past — including last week’s embarrassing Plan B failure.

Regardless, it’s now clear that Congress will be in session through the beginning of the New Year. Aides said the House could take up a supplemental appropriations bill to pay for Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts tomorrow, and it will almost certainly take at least 24 hours for both chambers to pass the fiscal cliff agreement.

On the last day before the tax hikes and spending cuts are scheduled to take effect.

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“I cannot think of any other minority group in the U.S. today where such a negative statement and action made in 1998 would not be an obstacle to a major Presidential appointment,” Barney Frank says.

Image by J. Scott Applewhite / AP

WASHINGTON — Outgoing Rep. Barney Frank Monday denounced the idea of former Sen. Chuck Hagel being considered for secretary of defense, arguing the Nebraska conservative has demonstrated a clear pattern of bigotry and and a track record of being "against fairness for LGBT people."

Hagel's 1998 opposition to former President Bill Clinton nominee James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg — when he accused Hormel of being "aggressively gay" — has angered some LGBT groups, although Hagel recently apologized for the remarks.

"I cannot think of any other minority group in the U.S. today where such a negative statement and action made in 1998 would not be an obstacle to a major Presidential appointment," Frank said in the statement.

On Meet the Press this Sunday, President Obama said otherwise, telling NBC's David Gregory that he did not see the comments as disqualifying.

Frank, however, disagrees.

"Then-Senator Hagel's aggressively bigoted opposition to President Clinton's naming the first openly gay Ambassador in U.S. history was not, as Sen. Hagel now claims, an aberration. He voted consistently against fairness for LGBT people and there does not seem to be any evidence prior to his effort to become Secretary of Defense of any apology or retraction of his attack on James Hormel. And to those of us who admire and respect Mr. Hormel, Sen. Hagel's description of him as aggressive can only mean that the Senator strongly objected to Hormel's reasoned, civil advocacy for LGBT people," Frank said.

Hagel's apology notwithstanding, Log Cabin Republicans ran a full-page ad in The New York Times this past week opposing Hagel's possible nomination and told BuzzFeed that the group doubted the sincerity of his apology. Others have since questioned who funded the Log Cabin ad, but Clarke Cooper would not tell The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald more than that it was funded "by a number of donors."

Although leaving the House, Frank has been talked about as a possible placeholder Senate appointee in Massachusetts until a special election is held for the seat of Sen. John Kerry, who is President Obama's nominee for secretary of state and is expected to have an easy confirmation by his colleagues in the Senate.

CNN let him go on for almost a minute before changing segments.

First he hit CNN.

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Later that day he got Fox News.

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A dangerous moment for the Secretary of State. Confidence in a “full recovery.”

Image by Susan Walsh, Pool, File/Buzzfeed

With Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hospitalized in New York, her doctors said Monday that they are treating a blood clot behind her right ear.

Clinton, the doctors said, is "making excellent progress." Their statement, and a shorter one from the State Department, came after the Associated Press raised questions about the secrecy surrounding Clinton's condition.

The statement from doctors Lisa Bardack and Gigi El-Bayoumi:

In the course of a routine follow-up MRI on Sunday, the scan revealed that a right transverse sinus venous thrombosis had formed. This is a clot in the vein that is situated in the space between the brain and the skull behind the right ear. It did not result in a stroke, or neurological damage. To help dissolve this clot, her medical team began treating the Secretary with blood thinners. She will be released once the medication dose has been established. In all other aspects of her recovery, the Secretary is making excellent progress and we are confident she will make a full recovery. She is in good spirits, engaging with her doctors, her family, and her staff."

The internet did its best with the Congressional deadlock story that no one likes to read about. And off the cliff we go!

Via: instagram.com

Source: thejanedough.com

Mean Girls of Capitol Hill

Via: meangirlsofcapitolhill

Via: prosebeforehos.com

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“President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation — courageously declaring that on January 1, 1863, 'all persons held as slaves' in rebellious areas 'shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free,'” President Obama stated today. An anniversary marked by the nation's first black president.

President Barack Obama issued a proclamation marking the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued January 1, 1863.

Image by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — President Obama issued a proclamation on Monday recognizing Tuesday as the 150th anniversary of one of the most well-known presidential proclamations, the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War that freed Southern slaves.

"As the weariness of an old year gave way to the promise of a new one, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation — courageously declaring that on January 1, 1863, 'all persons held as slaves' in rebellious areas 'shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free,'" Obama wrote.

The fact that Obama, the nation's first black president, is leading the nation at the anniversary is seen as one of the most tangible signs of the long road the nation has traveled on race relations. Yet the anniversary comes even as the Supreme Court continues to wrestle with issues of affirmative action and voting rights for black Americans.

Regarding the Southern states, Lincoln wrote in his proclamation, "I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons."

Noting the questionable basis for the proclamation, Lincoln only wrote at the time, "And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God."

Of Lincoln's actions then, Obama this week proclaimed, "He knew that in these United States, no dream could ever be beyond our reach when we affirm that individual liberty is served, not negated, by seeking the common good."

Referencing the amendments to the Constitution that followed, as well as ongoing efforts to advance equality, Obama added, "It is that spirit that made emancipation possible and codified it in our Constitution. It is that belief in what we can do together that moved millions to march for justice in the years that followed. And today, it is a legacy we choose not only to remember, but also to make our own."

The Emancipation Proclamation

Via: archives.gov

Via: archives.gov

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Biden seals the deal. With his former colleagues in the Senate, anyway.

Image by Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

WASHINGTON — Late Monday night, just hours before the calendar turned to a new year, Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid met with Senate Democrats for an hour and a half to convince them to vote for a fiscal cliff compromise.

Despite an estate tax and sequester extension that fell short of what Democrats wanted — and that many perceived as major concessions to Republicans — the last-minute pitch worked.

“For the first time in years, we will have a major issue settled with a bipartisan vote,” Sen. Feinstein noted after the meeting.

Sen. Chuck Schumer conceded that the compromise, while supported by most Senate Democrats, was neither "great nor loved."

Nevertheless, he said, “The number of people who think we should go over the cliff rather than vote for this is very small."

In particular, Democrats would have preferred a longer sequester extension — in part because the new deadline will coincide approximately with the reprised debt ceiling negotiations in February or March.

The compromise left Senate Democrats ultimately supportive, but not enthused; many thought the White House had ceded unnecessarily to Republican demands.

“It’s what we could get," said Reid's spokesperson Adam Jentleson.

And while the White House sold the sequester deal as a "victory," Senate Democrats hedged. “We’ll call it positive progress,” Jentleson said.

To help shore up support for the deal, Biden arrived at the Capitol shortly after 9 p.m. to meet with Reid and other Senate Democrats.

Afte the meeting, a reporter asked Biden what his selling point had been to the conference.

"Me," Biden responded frankly, smiling broadly.

According to multiple senators, Biden had also assured the conference that the White House would not permit a fight over the debt ceiling early in 2013.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Biden said he felt "very, very good" that the Senate would approve the deal, and Reid told reporters he expected a vote late Monday night or early Tuesday morning on the package.

But whether Speaker John Boehner can actually muster the votes to pass the deal in the House was very much an open question late Monday night.

Shortly after Democrats concluded their meeting, House Republican leaders echoed their promise to "consider" the bill, falling short of a promise to bring it to a vote or actually push for its passage.

Indeed, in a statement released by Boehner's leadership team, they even left open the possibility of further amendments, which essentially kill the deal.

“The House will honor its commitment to consider the Senate agreement if it is passed," Republican leaders said in a statement. "Decisions about whether the House will seek to accept or promptly amend the measure will not be made until House members -- and the American people -- have been able to review the legislation.”

Here's the White House's spin on the deal to resolve the fiscal cliff, which has support of Congressional leaders, but opposition from both liberal and conservative wings. Also: Saved America from higher milk prices.

Concessions for Republicans and Democrats alike. Now to the House.

Image by J. Scott Applewhite / AP

WASHINGTON — In the early hours of 2013, after weeks of negotiations, the Senate voted to approve a compromise fiscal cliff agreement to delay the sequester for two months and raise income taxes for the wealthiest Americans, but which left the debt ceiling to be addressed later this year.

Although 89 senators supported the measure, and only 8 voted against it, not one senator seemed wholly pleased with the agreement.

But nearly all those who supported it expressed acceptance of the compromise and relief that one had been approved at the last minute, thus taking a first legislative step toward averting a rash of tax hikes and spending cuts that could throw the economy into another recession.

“Do we feel great?" posed Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski. She paused. "We feel that we did our duty.”

"I think the U.S. Congress missed an opportunity overall to do the type of bargain we could do in this circumstance," Sen. John Kerry, the nominee to succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, added. But, he conceded, given the arc of negotiations, "This is the best deal that you could get."

Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who, earlier, had met with Reid in his office over concerns about the emerging deal, evolved during the course of the day and night: Ultimately, he voted in favor of the measure.

Across the aisle, Republicans were similarly ambivalent: Pleased by their minor victories in pushing for a two-month extension of the sequester and a lesser estate tax, while sobered by the reality that taxes would rise for income exceeding $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples.

Nevertheless, GOP senators expressed confidence that House Republicans would accept the deal as is.

“I hope they will understand that if we don’t do something, everyone’s taxes will go up," said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. He added, "This is the best a conservative could do."

It's not entirely clear whether the House will accept that argument. During the payroll tax debate in 2011, an agreement was approved by the Senate by a similar margin — and still failed to pass in the House.

But even as 89 senators voted to support the measure, there were some notable holdouts in both parties — including Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who said he "just couldn't vote for" the compromise.

"I ran for office because I wanted to be a part of solving these big problems, and time and again we're faced with options here that don't really do that," he said.

"The real fiscal cliff is the one that awaits us, and nothing happened tonight to avoid that.”

They say they've broken the back of Republican intransigence on taxes. “A good precedent,” says a senior White House official.

Image by Larry Downing / Reuters

WASHINGTON — As President Barack Obama waits for the House of Representatives to approve a “fiscal cliff” deal the White House played a central role in negotiating, his aides said they believe the deal struck late Monday has produced a victory for the president and a “sea change” in Republican opposition to tax increases.

Obama had at first sought a big fiscal deal that would have wiped the legislative slate clean for other priorities. That proved impossible, and Obama and his aides are now laying the groundwork a long slog of fiscal fights. In the coming weeks, Obama will deliver an inaugural address and a State of the Union speech with the nation caught up against the debt ceiling, the need to pass a temporary budget measure, and another fight over mandatory spending cuts, and Republicans are dead set on exacting spending cuts to deal with each of them.

Speaking Monday afternoon in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building even before the final deal had been struck, Obama celebrated having pushed Republicans to let taxes go up on the wealthiest Americans — a sticking point in nearly two years of on-and-off negotiations — and anticipated objections from his liberal allies, who argued that he was the one who had capitulated by not raising taxes on all income above $250,000.

“Keep in mind that just last month Republicans in Congress said they would never agree to raise tax rates on the wealthiest Americans,” Obama said before an audience described by the White House as “middle class Americans.” “Obviously, the agreement that's currently being discussed would raise those rates and raise them permanently.”

In this view, the talks were a victory for the president in which Republicans signed off on a deal raising $620 billion in revenue — the first major tax increase in two decades — but only cutting about $15 billion in spending. In the terms of the running negotiations, of the $1.2 trillion in revenue Obama called for in the failed grand bargain, at least $500 billion remains on the table for Obama to push for in subsequent deficit talks.

White House officials believe Republicans have crossed the Rubicon on taxes, agreeing to — and indeed, proposed — significant revenue increases for the first time in two decades.

“It’s a sea change,” one senior official told BuzzFeed Monday before the final agreement was struck. “It will inevitably make it easier to get [Republicans] on board whenever we ask for new revenues, because they’ve already crossed that threshold.”

“That’s the legacy of this debate,” the official said of the bitter negotiations, which wrecked holiday plans across the capital and ended Obama’s first term on a bitter note.

The situation may not be that simple. The Republican vote on higher taxes came after a set of tax cuts had expired and all the votes Monday were, technically, to cut taxes.

And Republicans believe the deal serves as a “reset” point in the president’s relations with Congress, after Obama held all the cards with taxes rising on all Americans at the start of the New Year. With the high-profile tax cuts dealt with, the party can now return to battering the president over $1 trillion in annual deficit spending.

“The president was so adamant about a comprehensive deal because he knows he has less leverage after the middle class tax cuts are released from their “hostage” taker,” said one GOP leadership aide. “With the rich presumably now permanently “paying their fair share,” he’s going to have a lot harder time avoiding spending cuts in a fight over the debt limit, continuing resolution, sequester, etc.”

On Monday Obama expressed openness to further spending cuts — particularly dealing with the growing cost of Medicare — but demanded that they, like any effort to avert the mandatory defense spending cuts in the fiscal cliff, incorporate new revenues from the wealthy.

“The same is true for any future deficit agreement,” Obama said. Obviously, we’re going to have to do more to reduce our debt and our deficit. I’m willing to do more, but it’s going to have to be balanced. And on tax reform, Obama signaled that he would not support revenue-neutral efforts to broaden the base and lower the rates, as Republicans demand.

“There is absolutely no appetite among Republicans to incorporate revenues in raising the debt ceiling,” said a Senate GOP aide, strongly doubting the party’s appetite for any more revenue.

But with Republicans gearing up for a fight over the debt ceiling, and Obama repeatedly saying he will not negotiate over Congress’ responsibility to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, the deal struck by Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gives Obama an out.

The two-month delay to the mandatory budget cuts aligns almost perfectly with the expiration of the Treasury Department’s extraordinary measures to prevent the U.S. government from defaulting on its debt, as well as the expiration of the current temporary resolution funding the federal government. Obama could avoid negotiating on the debt ceiling by negotiating to avoid the rest of the sequester — a package of automatic cuts to defense and other spending — and including the borrowing limit in the final agreement. But Obama appears likely to demand a deal similar to the one he achieved Monday — in which the cuts are averted by a 50-50 split of targeted spending cuts and revenue increases, with a 50-50 split on the spending cuts between defense and non-defense appropriations.

“We think that establishes a good precedent,” said another senior White House official.

Speaker John Boehner puts down a conservative rebellion. An almost unheard of moment in the House: Republicans will rely on Democrats to make a deal.

Image by Jacquelyn Martin / AP

WASHINGTON — Less than 12 hours after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden marshaled a strong 89 votes for their fiscal cliff plan, House Speaker John Boehner was scrambling to beat back a conservative revolt that appeared for a moment on the verge of unraveling the deal.

Boehner set a vote of his Republican conference during the 9:00 p.m. hour, a Republican source said Tuesday evening — a sign that the House leader believes he can keep his end of a bargain with Senate Republicans.

But Republicans said Boehner had abandoned a longstanding tradition — known as the Hastert rule — of allowing bills to the floor only if they have a majority of Republicans, 120 members in this Congress. The move is important because the Speaker has long insisted on that threshold — indeed, that has been the sticking point through weeks of painful talks — only to abandon it when all else failed.

Ideological rifts over the deal were on display during a closed-door meeting of the GOP conference Tuesday afternoon, Majority Leader Eric Cantor — a power center and sometime Boehner rival — told his colleagues that he would not support the deal — despite the fact that he and Boehner the night before had vowed to “consider” the bill.

But Boehner appeared Tuesday evening to have brought his conference back to heel, as an amendment to cut additional spending showed no signs of winning the support among Republicans necessary for passage and Boehner moved toward a vote on the original deal. His decision to rely on Democrats does not necessarily reflect a deepening rift inside his conference, but it does suggest that the speaker's hold on his members — which has repeatedly proven tenuous — may be weakening.

Although his remarks were brief, they sent shock waves through his conference, which was already extremely skeptical of the agreement, and perhaps looking for a leader.

Conservative opposition to the agreement stems from a host of issues, including the fact that the deal does not include any spending cuts, would significantly add to the nation’s deficit and raises taxes on those making more than $400,000 a year.

And Cantor’s not alone in opposing the deal: the agreement is universally disliked within Republican circles, and even Democrats in the House and Senate have voiced complaints about the deal.

The lack of spending cuts in the Senate bill was a universal concern amongst members in today’s meeting," said Boehner spokesperson Brendan Buck.

Rep. Steve LaTourette, a Boehner ally, said there were “two schools of thought” expressed in the meeting: To accept the deal and “live to fight another day,” or amend the measure and send it back to the Senate.

The latter option clearly enjoyed support from the majority of the conference.

“I think it’s moving in that direction," LaTourette said.

Still, Cantor’s decision to come out against the agreement was unexpected.

According to one Republican in the room Cantor “went rogue on the messaging” and clearly caught his colleagues in leadership by surprise with his decision to come out against the bill.

Shortly after House Republicans concluded their meeting, the conference prepared to blamed Senate Democrats for the death of a deal.

"The House will work its will, and if it sends the Senate an amended bill and Democratic leaders choose to go over the cliff, then they will have to answer to the American people," a House Republican leadership aide said.

Republican Rep. Todd Akin was comparably dismissive.

"Oh, the Senate always rattles its saber," he said.

Even Republican support in the Senate did not appear at first to have any bearing on House GOP opinion: LaTourette joked that the Republican senators "must have been drunk" when they voted for the compromise.

But as the evening wore on Boehner moved toward a bipartisan vote, and Republicans Tuesday night headed back toward the Capitol for a tense vote.

Retiring congressman Steve LaTourette takes a dig at his high school classmate, and fellow Republican, Darrell Issa while Wolf Blitzer plays things cool. “I didn't see him a lot in class.”

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Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy oppose the bargain. A break at the top.

Image by Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy broke with Speaker John Boehner Monday night, voting against a multi-trillion tax package designed to avert the fiscal cliff.

The decision to abandon Boehner — which came after Boehner’s leadership team whipped not only rank and file members but even other lower ranking members of leadership — will almost certainly set off a furious round of speculation about the future of his speakership, less than 48 hours before members are scheduled to vote on it.

The defections could upturn efforts to pass a $60 billion spending supplemental related to Hurricane Sandy and will almost assuredly have long lasting implications for Boehner’s team in handling an already wild and unruly conference.

Cantor and McCarthy did pay Boehner the courtesy of waiting until a majority — 218 members — had voted for the compromise forged between the White House and Senate Republicans, reducing the chances that their defections would scuttle the bill.

Another leading House conservative, former Vice Presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, voted for the legislation.

Top Republican leaders Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy abandon Speaker and vote no as economic collapse is narrowly averted. Paul Ryan's last minute change of heart.

Image by Joshua Roberts / Reuters

WASHINGTON — Congress late Monday night begrudgingly approved a multi-trillion dollar package of tax cuts and spending measures aimed at averting the fiscal cliff — but only after weeks of on again, off again negotiations, mini-revolts in Republican ranks and no surplus of political courage on any side of the debate.

The vote came with a particular cost to House Republicans: Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy broke with Speaker John Boehner and voted against the bill, even after they had pushed not only rank and file members but even other lower ranking members of leadership to vote for the bill, according to Republican sources.

Cantor and McCarthy both informed Boehner of their decisions prior to the vote, and waited until after the bill had gotten the needed 218 votes to pass the House. Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, who along with McCarthy and Cantor make up the so-called “Young Guns” was also expected to break with Boehner prior to the vote, but at the last minute he apparently changed his mind and voted for passage, a Republican source said.

Following the vote, Ryan told Buzzfeed, “When you like something, you vote for it. …I wasn’t afraid.” He said he thought the deal reflected conservative values.

In a statement released by his office later, Ryan was more forceful in defense of his vote, noting that while he had concerns "Will the American people be better off if this law passes relative to the alternative? In the final analysis, the answer is undoubtedly yes. I came to Congress to make tough decisions—not to run away from them."

There wasn't much to like for Republicans in the deal. Its most important plank will raise taxes on income over $400,000, something they'd fought hard to resist. Some Republicans raised objections to smaller provisions in the bill, including extending favorable tax treatment for Nascar and Hollywood.

In total, 151 members of leadership, chairmen and rank and file Republicans voted against the bill, while only 16 Democrats did.

The final House vote turned out to be one of the lowest points for Speaker John Boehner, who has seen his authority eroded almost completely as a result of the fiscal cliff fiasco.

In the immediate future, the defections appeared to abruptly end efforts to pass a $60 billion spending supplemental related to Hurricane Sandy and will almost assuredly have long lasting implications for Boehner’s team in handling an already wild and unruly conference.

Cantor has been helping champion the spending measure and has worked closely New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as well as their states’ delegations.

But after a particularly bruising fight over tax increases — and the GOP’s intense opposition to increasing spending — convincing the conference will be a difficult task. And now with his relationship with Boehner damaged and the Speaker almost assuredly unwilling to further provoke his conservative wing, Republican aides said it was unclear whether the House could pass any sort of relief bill.

What effect the break within leadership will have on Thursday’s speakership election is unclear. Boehner is still well liked within his conference, even if he is unable to effectively manage it. And Cantor, McCarthy and Ryan have all made it clear they aren’t looking to challenge him.

Prior to the House vote, conservatives who for weeks were highly critical of the efforts clearly unhappy.

"This will certainly add to a growing list of frustrations," an aide to a conservative House member said. The aide added, "It will definitely turn up the heat from the base to dump Boehner."

“We have not had the spending conversation we need to have," said Rep. Tim Scott, who will soon succeed Sen. Jim DeMint, one of the Senate's most prominent and steadfast conservative members.

Other House Republicans who were not enthused with the deal echoed that practiced refrain.

"The spending cuts are very important, and we need to get the spending under control," said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the fourth-ranking House Republican.

Ultimately, an aide offered her an out.

"We've got to go," Jeremy Deustch, her chief of staff, interrupted. "We have a vote."

After the House voted, however, Republicans who opposed the bill were more vocal about their disappointment — and hinted at possible backlash later.

“Oh, people are paying attention" said Rep. Jason Chaffetz. "People are paying attention.”

Among the few senators who opposed the deal, Sen. Marco Rubio nevertheless defended those in his party who had voted for the tax hike.

"Taxes went up today automatically, so Republicans didn't vote to raise taxes," Rubio said.

A victory lap around the fiscal cliff. Obama draws line in the sand for future deficit reduction talks.

Image by Charles Dharapak / AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama reiterated his pledge not to negotiate over the nation's borrowing limit Tuesday night, as he marked the passage of a bill to avert the fiscal cliff.

Speaking from the White House briefing room 20 minutes after the House of Representatives passed the bill — and minutes before his own return to a vacation in his native Hawaii — Obama offered Republicans brief, tough talk.

"While I will negotiate over many things, I will not have another debate with this Congress over whether they should pay the bills for what they've racked up," Obama said. "We can't not pay bills that we've already incurred."

The debt ceiling one was half of a doctrine Obama laid out late Tuesday, requiring that all deficit reduction measures include revenue increases.

With looming fights over the debt limit, dealing with the rest of the mandatory spending cuts, and funding the federal government, Obama said he fully intends to take up measures to bring down the deficit — which has topped $1 trillion annually for four years.

"The fact is, the deficit is still too high," Obama said, repeating his openness to examining ways to strengthen entitlement programs like Medicare. “But the deficit needs to be reduced in a way that’s balanced," he added, saying “further reforms to our tax code" must accompany spending cuts.

"Today’s agreement enshrines, I think, a principle into law that will remain in place as long as I am President," Obama said. "The deficit needs to be reduced in a way that's balanced. Everyone pays their fair share. Everyone does their part. That's how our economy works best. That's how we grow."

Obama bemoaned his repeated inability to strike a "grand bargain" with House Republicans.

“That failure comes with a cost,” Obama said, warning of another bitter fight over fiscal issues that have dominated the past two months and will do the same for the next.

But in a celebratory move, Obama also crossed off an item on his post-election check-list, saying he fulfilled his campaign pledge to raise taxes on the rich while protecting tax breaks for the middle class.

"A central premise of my campaign for president was to change the tax code...Tonight we’ve done that," Obama said.

Obama thanked congressional leaders and Vice President Joe Biden for negotiating the agreement and getting it through Congress, saying "everybody worked very hard on this."

After his brief statement, Obama greeted aides outside the Oval Office, before quickly walking to Marine One for the first leg of his trip back to Hawaii to continue his vacation.

A last-minute decision after a bitter “cliff” fight. “The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month,” says a spokesman.

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WASHINGTON — Late Tuesday, Speaker John Boehner unexpectedly halted a vote on disaster relief funding for states hit hard by the storm Sandy — drawing fire from members of both parties who hoped to approve the measure before a new Congress is sworn in Thursday.

"I think it's imperative we stay here and address this issue," Rep. Charles Dent, a Republican, said on the House floor when it became clear that a vote would not be held.

"We cannot leave here doing nothing," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi echoed. "That would be a disgrace."

But the measure to send $60 billion in relief to states ravaged by Sandy was held up in part due to the House vote on a fiscal cliff agreement, which saw House Majority Leader Eric Cantor vote against the bill — and opposite Speaker John Boehner, who supported the compromise.

Cantor came under fire in 2011 for arguing that disaster spending should be offset, only to see his home state of Virginia hit by an earthquake and hurricane in a matter of days.

Since that time, the Virginian has become a champion of sorts of disaster relief spending, and he worked closely with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and their respective state delegations and appropriators on the Sandy bill.

Indeed, the plan for voting on the smaller House version and a subsequent amendment increasing the bill to match the Senate’s $60 billion price tag originated with Cantor’s office, leadership aides said, and Monday afternoon it appeared likely it would move forward.

But Republican aides said that after the fiscal cliff vote, in which Speaker John Boehner saw 151 Republicans break with him — including Cantor — in large part because it did not include spending cuts, attempting to push the bill forward was simply a bridge too far. Boehner could barely muster 85 Republicans for an extension of the Bush tax cuts because it didn't include spending cuts, and the idea of expanding spending for the north east was simply not something his conference was willing to accept.

"The Speaker made the decision not to proceed this Congress," a Republican leadership aide confirmed Wednesday.

But Boehner's office said the delay is only temporary.

"The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month," said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.

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