Washington and the world anxiously wait as negotiations between House Republicans and the White House drag up until the deadline of December 31, 2012. On this date, a combination of cuts in government spending and tax increases will automatically occur. The nature of these talks is considerably different from the fiscal negotiations of 2011.

Unlike last year, where the strongly conservative views of the newly elected Tea Party congressmen left House Speaker John Boehner with little flexibility, this year the Speaker “has proposed raising the top rate for earners making more than $1 million” (Kuhnhenn). The move reflects the chastening results of the 2012 election for the Republicans in Washington DC. In an election in which many Republicans, such as Newt Gingrich believed that “the minimum result will be 53-47 [percent] Romney, over 300 electoral votes, and the Republicans will pick up the Senate” (Farhi) the Republicans failed to pick up the White House and the Senate while holding onto a slimmer majority in the House of Representatives.

Furthermore unlike last year, where many Democrats criticized President Obama for his “soft response to the Tea Party after fractious negotiations” (Bolton), the negotiations of this year have been marked with a tougher stance from President Obama. Citing his reelection as a mandate, the President has insisted upon tax rates increasing for all households who make above $250,000. A recent Bloomberg Poll showed that “two-thirds of respondents, including nearly 50% of Republicans, believe Obama's re-election gave him a mandate to seek higher taxes on the wealthy” (Bash and Cohen)

It remains to be seen what effects the interplay of an emboldened President Obama and a weakened House Republican faction will have upon negotiations.

  Works CitedBash, Dana and Tom Cohen. CNN Politics. 13 December 2012. 16 December 2012 <http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/12/politics/fiscal-cliff/index.html>.Bolton, Alexander. The Hill. 6 August 2011. 15 December 2012 <http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/175775-obamas-soft-response-to-tea-party-draws-liberal-criticism>.Farhi, Paul. Style. 7 November 2012. 15 December 2012 <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-11-07/lifestyle/35505191_1_electoral-votes-mitt-romney-romney-victory>.Kuhnhenn, Jim. Politics. 15 December 2012. 16 December 2012 <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/fiscal-cliff-john-boehner_n_2308852.html>.