Deficit Fights Loom for Lame Duck Congress

The federal deficit has played a huge role in the midterm elections, but it might become an even bigger issue right after them, when a lame duck Congress is forced to make immediate decisions about the expiring Bush tax cuts, and pass an overdue spending bill to keep the government operating, the New York Times reports. They’ll also have proposals from the president’s bipartisan debt reduction committee to consider.

But people on both sides of the aisle say they’re not terribly optimistic about the prospects for compromise. Democrats, and many economists, believe that more stimulus is needed to reduce unemployment before deficit reduction can be seriously tackled. Top House Republicans like Paul Ryan, meanwhile, may fear that making deals with Democrats will cost them leadership positions. John Podesta thinks the result could be “deficit reduction gridlock.” (More budget deficit stories.)