Last-Minute Congress Deals Stopgaps

Don’t get too excited about the rash of last-minute deals that just went through Congress. Leaders in the House of Representatives threatened to revolt Saturday over the rash of Senate deals made—which could cast doubt whether the bills will ever make President Obama's desk. Some House Republicans said they are “furious” over the Senate deal on the payroll-tax extension, and at least one member suggested it may fail in the House. Meanwhile, the spending bill, the payroll-tax extension, and the unemployment extension will all come up for review at the end of February, the same time that President Obama will be preparing the State of the Union Message. The deal over the payroll-tax-cut extension also forces Obama to make a decision on the Keystone pipeline at the same time—which union leaders support and environmentalists oppose.