Hatch fires back at Democrats on Bush tax cuts

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on Thursday fired back at Democratic leaders who earlier this evening blamed Republicans for forcing them to postpone a vote on the Bush-era tax cuts.

"Everyone's tired of the White House blaming previous administrations and the Republican minority for everything," he said. "At some point, you just have to take responsibility for your own failings and act to fix them."

Earlier this evening, Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), announced that plans to extend the Bush tax cuts would occur after November's election, instead of before, because Republicans have refused to support their plan. 

"Democrats believe we must permanently extend tax cuts for the middle-class before they expire at the end of the year, and we will," Manley said in prepared remarks. "Unfortunately, to this point we have received no cooperation from Republicans to do so."

Democrats need the support of at least one Republican to advance their plan to the House. But several Democrats from both chambers have also raised concerns about extending the middle-class tax cut while allowing tax breaks for the wealthy to expire on schedule at the end of the year.

If Congress fails to act, all of the tax cuts will expire in at the end of the year, causing every paycheck in America to incur a tax increase in January. 

"Its unfortunate that the White House and its Capitol Hill allies have allowed politics to get in the way of making sure the American people's taxes don't go up," Hatch said, adding, "I hope they change their mind, because there's too much at stake."

Manley does not foresee tax increases in middle-class paychecks next year.

"We will come back in November and stay in session as long as it takes to get this done," he said.