Moments before announcing defeat to his GOP colleagues, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) recited the Serenity Prayer often heard at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
“Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference,” the downtrodden House Speaker said at a hastily called closed-door meeting Thursday night to tell fellow House Republicans that he didn’t have to votes to pass his “Plan B” effort to avoid the “fiscal cliff.”
According to sources in the room, a “distraught” Boehner broke the news that his leadership team couldn’t convince enough GOP lawmakers to vote for a measure that would prevent automatic tax hikes from taking place for all but those individuals making more than $1 million.
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Boehner’s deputy, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), told the members that they would break for Christmas, and would receive “48 hours notice” if they need to return to act on legislation passed by the Senate.
