The Hill News

More than 50 House Democrats have signed a letter saying they are opposed to the tax cut deal President Obama negotiated with Republicans. 

The letter, penned by liberal Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), puts a hard number (54) on House Democrats who oppose the deal.

Lawmakers call the compromise "fiscally irresponsible" for adding to the national debt and "grossly unfair," since they say it "will hurt, not help, the majority of Americans in the middle class and those working hard to get there."

"We support extending tax cuts in full to 98 percent of American taxpayers, as the President ! initially proposed," the letter reads. "He should not back down. Nor should we."

House Democrats are attempting to get the White House to tweak the deal, which contains a two-year extension of all the expiring Bush tax cuts in exchange for a 13-month renewal of unemployment benefits, after Vice President Joe Biden told them Wednesday that the accord will not be changed.

Welch announced the letter just before the House Democratic Caucus on Thursday took a symbolic internal vote to oppose the deal. 

But the White House remains confident the deal will pass: top economic adviser Lawrence Summers predicted Thursday morning that the deal would become law by Christmas. 

A list of House Democrats who signed the letter is included after the jump. Most members represent safe districts, and only a handful either lost their election this year or could have a tough campaign ahead in 2012.

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