K Street lobbyists are scrambling to defend industry tax breaks and spending programs from ending up as fodder to reduce the deficit in the debt limit talks led by Vice President Joseph Biden.
A lack of news about the specific cuts under consideration by the close-lipped bipartisan group, coupled with last week's surprising 73-27 Senate vote to eliminate long-sacrosanct ethanol tax subsidies has put lobbyists in a defensive crouch.
Congressional negotiators left Tuesday's three-hour meeting without a deal and refused to comment on details of what proposals are under discussion. The lawmakers are slated to meet again today, Thursday and possibly Friday, and they are under pressure to announce at least the framework for a broader deal to give Congress time to digest it before the August recess. They've set a July 1 deadline for themselves.
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_143/Debt-Talks-Worry-Lobbyists-206672-1.html?pos=hftxt
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