Republicans Show Their Holiday Spirit By Demanding Billions In Health Care Cuts

Republicans Show Their Holiday Spirit By Demanding Billions In Health Care Cuts: "The Christmas season is allegedly about giving without an expectation of recompense. In politics, representatives are not expected to give gifts to their constituents, but they are expected ensure that every citizen has opportunities to prosper without sacrificing something to a few wealthy elites. Republicans are notorious for tying legislation that helps the majority of Americans to some type of harmful legislation, and the current debate over extending the payroll tax cut for 160 million working Americans is their latest dispensation of damage. Republicans opposed the payroll tax cut extension last week, but they expressed interest in supporting the extension on Friday. When Representative Peter King (R-NY) was asked what changed House Republicans’ aversion to extending the payroll tax cut, he replied, “Christmas spirit.” Naturally, one would think that if Christmas spirit is involved with supporting the extension, Republicans would pass it without expectation of recompense because as President Obama said, passing it is “something House Republicans and Senate Republicans should want to do regardless of any other issues.”..."