Democratic Revolt May Slow Obama Agenda. By Alan K. Ota, CQ, March 3, 2009, subscription. "Democratic Reps. Jim Matheson of Utah and Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona have joined a quiet revolt in the House that could slow some of President Obama's fast-moving priorities. The two are among 49 Democrats from congressional districts that backed Republican Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential race and whose support for the Democratic majority's progressive agenda is increasingly not assured... The defections could cause heartburn for Democratic leaders charged with ushering through Obama's three biggest priorities: a health care overhaul, a cap-and-trade system to curb carbon emissions and his fiscal 2010 budget blueprint. John B. Larson of Connecticut, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said party leaders would respond to recent defections by trying to slow the pace of bills to allow more time for hearings and debate. 'Everything's coming at them fast and furious. The more that people get an opportunity to go back and forth... the greater the comfort level they will have,' Larson said. Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., acknowledged the defections, saying: 'We have a very diverse party, with diverse opinions. We're working on it.' Many of the 49 Democrats in the group have particular concerns about Obama's call for allowing the Bush-era tax cuts for wealthy families to expire."
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