John Tierney: “it appears that our Republican colleagues, the Republican Party leadership, have a real dilemma on their hands. After…”

“it appears that our Republican colleagues, the Republican Party leadership, have a real dilemma on their hands. After forcing through Congress a budget resolution that we already knew was simply unrealistic and that in order to implement it it would require disastrous reductions in programs for the needy and others, they are desperate to find some additional funds to finish the appropriations process so they can limp out of town. Well, what to do when one needs to come up with a quick eight or nine billion dollars? According to the Republican leadership, the plan goes like this: Their plan is to find the money and pass the appropriations bills by delaying payment of the earned income tax credit to 20 million low- and moderate-income working American families. That is right. They want to delay payment of the earned income tax credit to 20 million low- and moderate-income working Americans. That means that the only Americans who would bear the burden of delaying the tax refunds are those whose earnings permit them a refund so they can afford to commute to work, for their jobs to keep clothes on the children and to feed their families. Is there anyone who really believes that the most intelligent way to raise money to cover the shortfalls called for in the failed Republican budget is to make more money from low- to moderate-income taxpayers? I truly hope not.”