After promising news regarding President Obama and Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) meeting this past weekend, it seems that we may not reach a deal anytime soon.
On Tuesday, we learned that the White House sent Speaker Boehner a new proposal on Monday that lowered its revenue target from $1.6 trillion to $1.4 trillion. They also upped the spending cuts from $400 billion to $600 billion. However, that counteroffer led to Speaker Boehner sending back the same initial proposal, a sign that the White House offer wasn’t going to lead to a final deal.
While First Read points out that the White House remains optimistic, the Republicans are cautiously pessimistic about a deal being reached before the deadline. According to a new ABC/Washington Post poll, voters are splits on how the president is handling the fiscal cliff negotiations 47% to 46%. However, they overwhelmingly disapprove of how Speaker Boehner is handling the situation as 54% disapprove and only 24% approve. Meanwhile, the president’s job approval is at 53%, the highest it has been since December 2009.
We have Mitt Miller joining the conversation during today’s guest spot to discuss is the fiscal cliff actually forever? This is the premise of a recent piece he wrote for the Washington Post. Be sure to tune in at 3:30 p.m. for the full conversation.
The Cycle Staff