Geithner 'absolutely' sees votes to pass tax package

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Sunday that he believes there are "absolutely" the votes to pass tax cuts focusing on those in middle- and lower-income brackets.

"Just letting those tax cuts that only go to 2 percent to 3 percent of Americans, the highest-earning Americans in the country expire, I do not believe it will have a negative effect on growth," Geithner said.

On ABC's "This Week," he dismissed reported internal administration discussions about keeping the Bush-era tax cuts for a year or two, particularly as some Democrats in the Senate have come out against letting the tax cuts expire.

"I don't believe it should, and I don't believe it will, again, because what the president's proposed is to make sure we're leaving them in place for the people that need the most and can make the most difference in helping make sure this economy comes back, that we heal the damage caused by this crisis," Geithner said.

On NBC's "Meet the Press," Geithner said he wants to see the capital gains tax stay at 20 percent, and again stressed the administration's tax proposals as being an incentive for small business growth.

"[Obama] keeps the overall size of government at a very modest level," Geithner said.