Lisa Mascaro and Christi Parsons
-- A day after agreeing to work with President Barack Obama to end a stalemate over expiring tax cuts, congressional Republicans flexed their newfound political muscle Wednesday, declaring that they would block consideration of any other legislation until a deal is reached on tax cuts and temporary government funding.
The move put Republicans in a much stronger position to win across-the-board extensions of the Bush-era tax cuts by threatening to deny votes on any other Democratic initiative during the lame-duck congressional session.
The White House brushed off the Republican maneuver, but it puts the administration in a bind, essentially making hostages of several high-profile Obama priorities, including unemployment benefits, a new arms reduction treaty with Russia, the youth immigration law known as the Dream Act and the repeal of the controversial ban on gays in the military.
Without a quick deal that could require Obama to drop his opposition to continued tax cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers, those earning beyond $250,000 annually, Democrats likely would end the lame-duck session without signature victories.
The Republican ultimatum also showed the extent to which power in Washington has shifted in the aftermath of the GOP rout in last month's midterm elections. Even though newly elected Republicans do not take office until January, the GOP on Wednesday was confident and united in issuing its demands, while Obama appeared unable to move them off their position or exact any sort of political price.
Underscoring that power shift, Democrats announced the House would vote Thursday on a proposal to extend the tax cuts only to those earning $250,000 or less, in what is seen as largely symbolic exercise.