The House has adjourned until after Christmas with no resolution of fiscal issues

By Rob Janicki

With the defeat of Plan B and the passage of a sequester replacement bill, as well as a $633 billion defense policy bill, the House has adjourned. Tonight (Thursday), the House Majority Leader’s office announced that the House concluded legislative business for the week; legislative business will continue “after the Christmas holiday when needed.” Big Government

Earlier this week Nancy Pelosi proclaimed with some fanfare that she would submit gun control legislation on Friday.  She must have been thinking she was still House Majority Leader.  

It certainly looks like there will be no resolution to the fiscal cliff impasse as there may not be enough time between Christmas and the new year to get anything through both houses of Congress and signed by President Obama.

House Majority Leader, John Boehner's job may be on the line among Republicans, especially the conservative Tea Party faction within the party.  I'm not certain how to read Boehner's mind, but it seems he may try and pin the whole sorry mess on Obama and the intransigent Democrats, especially Harry Reid in the Senate.  At this point in time I an inclined to willingly go over the cliff after the second Republican offer was rebuffed by Obama.  Let the Democrats feel a little pain for a change.

As I have stated in previous posts, this fiscal disaster, and any resolution to it, will be very complex and there no longer seems to be any need to rush into a bad deal or to be badgered by Democrats to do so.  Republicans, when in control of the House, have never agreed to raise taxes.  If the Democrats choose to let tax rates go up, they will have to face Republicans when Obama tries to increase spending.  That's when Republicans will have a fair chance to express their power of the purse.