It is true that more important issues are currently before Congress. Nevertheless, our fiscal problems are leading Congress and the White House to an eventual sit-down meeting to hash out their very difficult differences. When that happens, current scenarios suggest WOTC will be included in that discussion.
Paul Suplizio, President of the WOTC Coalition explains:
Speaker Boehner has vowed he won’t let the government default. This means by October 17th Congress must pass a bill funding the government and increasing the debt ceiling to December 15th.
The aim of a temporary extension is to give the Parties a chance to negotiate the large matters at issue—the level of government funding for 2014 and beyond, and getting control over the long-run budget deficit.
As the President and leaders of the House and Senate are the only officials capable of making these decisions, look for a three-way Budget Summit where the President’s permanent WOTC will be on the table.
The entire strength of our Coalition must focus on influencing the outcome of this summit. Everyone knows our game plan—we have the President on our side, as well as the Majority Leader in the Senate and Minority leader in the House. We need Republicans to join them….
The following is published here with permission (emphasis in bold and red added).
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Subject: Budget Summit Will Flow From Crisis
From: “Paul Suplizio” <wotc@cox.net>
Date: Mon, October 07, 2013 8:00 am
October 7, 2013
Ten days from now our government will default on paying its debts unless Congress acts. Treasury might continue paying interest on the public debt, but it will only be able to spend revenues it’s receiving; it will default to others it owes money to, from contractors to pensioners, and If that occurs, economists predict a recession.
Speaker Boehner has vowed he won’t let the government default. This means by October 17th Congress must pass a bill funding the government and increasing the debt ceiling to December 15th.
The aim of a temporary extension is to give the Parties a chance to negotiate the large matters at issue—the level of government funding for 2014 and beyond, and getting control over the long-run budget deficit.
As the President and leaders of the House and Senate are the only officials capable of making these decisions, look for a three-way Budget Summit where the President’s permanent WOTC will be on the table.
The entire strength of our Coalition must focus on influencing the outcome of this summit. Everyone knows our game plan—we have the President on our side, as well as the Majority Leader in the Senate and Minority leader in the House. We need Republicans to join them, but we have no commitment from Republicans other than Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp’s promise to keep the tax extenders going until tax reform passes.
Our 50-state lobbying plan targets nearly 200 of the most influential House and Senate Republicans. This has been our plan since last March; we worked through the summer recess, and we’ve built momentum since Congress returned. We’ve got to re-double our efforts these next two months. Waiting till December to get involved could lead to disaster for WOTC.
Each side has passed a budget detailing their plans—House and Senate budgets and the President’s budget lay out the path they want the country to follow. The issues cover defense and civilian spending, Social Security and other entitlements, and taxes.
The President says he won’t increase tax rates, but he wants more revenue from limiting deductions of high-income taxpayers and changing tax treatment of multinational corporations. He won’t have the final say. Speaker Boehner will turn to Chairman Camp to write a tax bill for House, and Majority Leader Harry Reid will ask Senator Baucus to do the same.
Camp has begun drafting tax reform parts of the House bill; we need to continue in close touch with that effort. The Senate Finance Committee’s draft will take its cue from the President’s tax proposals and its work on tax reform—there’s a good chance for permanent WOTC, but it’s imperative to win the votes of Republicans in the Finance Committee to make permanent WOTC bi-partisan when it comes before the Senate.
With time running out on default, Defense firms furloughing thousands of workers, and stock markets verging on collapse, the temperature will be too hot to play a game of chicken past October 17th.
Republicans as a block will vote no on a bill to increase the debt ceiling—it’s the most abhorred vote for the GOP. Democrats will have to vote almost unanimously in favor, accompanied by 16-20 Republicans, to pass a bill. There are at least that many Republicans who’ve called for an end of the standoff.
Let’s keep our eyes glued on what will follow when the crisis is resolved, and plan to renew contacts with your Republican congressmen and senators they moment they turn their attention to the summit.
PAUL E. SUPLIZIO
President, WOTC Coalition
