Senate Tax Cut Deal Falls ThroughBrian Beutler | December 3, 2010, 8:17AM
A tentative agreement between Republican and Democratic Senate leaders to hold four tax cut votes today fell through late last night, over the objections of a GOP member.
As reported here, the arrangement was always fragile, requiring unanimous assent of the entire Senate, and subject to the disapproval of any restive Republican. As a result of the objection, Majority Leader Harry Reid will revert to an earlier plan to force votes on only two Dem-sponsored bills: One, the House-passed plan to extend the Bush tax cuts for income under $250,000, and another to extend those cuts for income under $1,000,000.
Neither of these two packages, nor the two scuttled, Republican-authored plans, was expected to pass: Both were merely symbolic gestures, meant to put Republicans on notice that their tax cut mania will become a political issue during this election cycle, and to signal displeasure to the White House over its brewing tax cut compromise with Republicans. Those negotiations are centered on a temporarily exchange all of the Bush tax cuts in exchange for an extension of unemployment insurance, and, potentially, the tax cuts in the stimulus bill.
As a result of the scuttled agreement, Reid will now likely -- again, likely -- have to force votes, keeping the Senate in session on Saturday.
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