After promising news regarding President Obama and Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) meeting this past weekend, it seems that we may not reach a deal anytime soon.
On Tuesday, we learned that the White House sent Speaker Boehner a new proposal on Monday that lowered its revenue target from $1.6 trillion to $1.4 trillion. They also upped the spending cuts from $400 billion to $600 billion. However, that counteroffer led to Speaker Boehner sending back the same initial proposal, a sign that the White House offer wasn’t going to lead to a final deal.
While First Read points out that the White House remains optimistic, the Republicans are cautiously pessimistic about a deal being reached before the deadline. According to a new ABC/Washington Post poll, voters are splits on how the president is handling the fiscal cliff negotiations 47% to 46%. However, they overwhelmingly disapprove of how Speaker Boehner is handling the situation as 54% disapprove and only 24% approve. Meanwhile, the president’s job approval is at 53%, the highest it has been since December 2009.









