In December 2010, President Barack Obama engaged in a negotiation showdown with congressional Republicans over the George W. Bush–era tax cuts, which were
due to expire at the end of 2010. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama had promised that, if elected, he would allow the tax cuts for Americans earning more than
$250,000 to expire. But just before Christmas, 42 Republican senators were threatening a filibuster that would block almost all year-end legislation if Senate Democrats didn’t
vote to renew all the tax cuts.