Read his lips; Negotiators get back to budget today
June 27, 1990
<BODY>
Rep. Paul Henry, R-Mich., took to the House floor exactly nine months ago to criticize what he called the Democratic Party's favorite activity.
"Tax," Henry began. "Tax, tax, tax, tax, tax, tax. ..."
<HEADER:A286513>
'Now comes the hard part'; Plan faces rough ride in Congress
Oct. 1, 1990
<BODY>
The first solid details came Sunday: The national party may be over - and the bills for it ready to mail.
The 1991 budget deal President Bush and congressional leaders reached would dip into almost every pocketbook to try to curb the $294 billion deficit, amassed after a decade in which Washington was loath to raise taxes but ordered a huge defense build-up and other programs.
<HEADER:A287012>
Medicare: Eye of the storm
Oct. 3, 1990
<BODY>
Plans to hike Medicare charges - already the deficit deal's powder keg - are blasting open fissures between the elderly haves and have-nots.
The Hoffmans of Huntington, W.Va. - ex-factory worker Eugene, 86, and ex-department store clerk Elizabeth, 83 - live wholly on $970 a month Social Security.
<HEADER:A287909>
Anger focuses on Congress in crisis; House pols 'can't agree on anything'
Oct. 8, 1990
<BODY>
A bus full of angry tourists from the Stewartstown, Pa., Historical Society crystallizes Douglas Martin's analysis of how Washington works - or doesn't work.
"Both the president and the Congress are responsible for the situation we're in," said the Towson State University history department chairman, as members of his flock cooled their heels this weekend outside shuttered Civil War sites in Harper's Ferry, W.Va.
<HEADER:A288803>
Bush on taxes: 'Read my hips'; Flap over flip-flop may hurt in '92
Oct. 11, 1990
<BODY>
"Flip-flop."
An apt phrase when you're talking about hooked fish, flapjacks or gymnastics.
But when a politician does it, as President Bush did Tuesday on tax hikes for the wealthy, disaster can follow.
<HEADER:A289944>
Budget: Look for 'blood on the floor'
Oct. 17, 1990
<BODY>
The year-long public debate over taxes and spending goes behind closed doors this week, where a few congressional leaders will decide who foots the $500 billion bill for cutting the deficit.
Their job: reconcile vastly different Senate and House budget plans.
<HEADER:A290252>
Federal belts don't tighten without pain
Oct. 8, 1990
<BODY>
Washington will get you coming and going this year.
Congressional votes to boost taxes on everything from sailboats to six-packs may have snared the lion's share of attention this budget season. But both House and Senate budget plans indicate the bulk of 1991 deficit-cutting actually will come from spending cuts and fee hikes, not tax increases.
<HEADER:A291572>
Deficit deal gets new life; Highlights of budget plan
Oct. 25, 1990
<BODY>
Congressional leaders rescued a five-year, $500 billion deficit-cutting package from the brink of collapse Wednesday with a combination of complex tax hikes on the wealthy.
House Democrats backed the deal, removing a major stumbling block to a budget.
<HEADER:A291902>
Budget deal; Who dodged the tax bullet? Complex tax plan hits wealthiest
Oct. 26, 1990
<BODY>
For about 2.5 million households, the federal budget deal could turn out to be a family affair: If you earn more than $150,000, how much tax you pay could have as much to do with how many children you have as how much money you make. That's just one example of how complicated it is.
<HEADER:A348263>
Congress has caught tax-cut fever
Dec. 17, 1991
<BODY>
Christmas lights and candy canes bedeck the office of the Joint Committee on Taxation these days - a sign Congress, on the eve of election season, is in a gift-giving mood.
Yogi Berra would call it deja vu all over again. Just as it did 10 years ago, Washington has caught tax-cut fever.
<HEADER:A352973>
'Tinkering' on tax cuts; 'The devil is really in the details'
Jan. 30, 1992
<BODY>
Taxpayers hoping to cash in on the tax breaks proposed by President Bush Tuesday may be a little disappointed.
While he outlined a tempting menu of tax cuts that could benefit millions, they'll need to read the fine print.
<HEADER:A356201>
Your taxes; Politics drive dueling plans; Battle over bills takes center stage
Feb. 26, 1992
<BODY>
The curtain rises in Congress today on a titanic battle of tax packages in which good politics seldom makes for good policy.
After spending months hearing from the nation's top economists, lawmakers are rushing to ignore most of their advice and send a multibillion dollar potpourri of tax hikes and breaks to President Bush.
