WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders girded Wednesday to push a Christmas compromise on tax cuts and spending through the House and Senate by week's end, legislation extending dozens of tax breaks for businesses and families and financing 2016 government operations.
"In divided government, you don't get everything you want," House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters about the 2,200-page matrix of wins and losses for both parties, which bargainers completed overnight. He predicted that the twin tax and spending bills would get bipartisan support, saying, "I think everybody can point to something that gives them a reason to be in favor of both of these bills."
Even so, House Democratic leaders were urging their rank-and-file members to oppose the package of tax breaks for businesses and individuals, which they considered too heavily weighted toward corporations and was roughly estimated to cost $650 billion over the next decade. They said they were still studying the spending measure.
"In my view it is practically an immorality in terms of how it damages the future," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said about the tax bill.
Republicans were likely to strongly support the tax measure but lean heavily against the $1.1 trillion spending bill, which they consider too costly, meaning it will need Democratic votes to pass.
The House will vote on the tax package Thursday and the spending bill Friday.
See Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.