"Dems Pull Tax Cut Test Vote Off House Floor"

[Clio the Leo]

Hello!!!! Wake up folks! We got us a battle going! lol

Dems Pull Tax Cut Test Vote Off House Floor

Lacking the votes to overcome a key procedural hurdle facing the tax cut bill, Dems have pulled the rule off the House floor.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/dems-pull-tax-cut-test-vote-off-house-floor.php

I've edited to update this post .... the previous article is below...

House To Vote On Tax Plan Today
Brian Beutler | December 16, 2010, 11:39AM

This afternoon, the House of Representatives will vote on -- and likely pass -- the White House's tax cut plan. The legislation, which already passed the Senate, will likely go straight to President Obama's desk, and here's why:

The House's influential rules committee has OK'd a vote on one key amendment -- to stiffen the plan's estate tax provision. The overwhelming majority of Democrats support lowering the threshold, and raising the rate of the estate tax in the plan -- in fact the House has passed estate tax legislation that does just that.

But if this amendment passes, it would scuttle the entire deal. So House leaders will not whip for it and many Democrats who support a more progressive estate tax will vote to kill the amendment to preserve the deal. At a press conference yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she'd "love to see" the House pass a higher estate tax. But all week, Democratic members have tacitly acknowledged the hard truth -- that the legislation will have to pass the House either unaltered, or after only very modest changes.

The key remaining question is what mix of Democrats and Republicans will align to pass the plan. A handful of conservative, but influential Republicans, including Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN) and Michele Bachmann (R-MN) have announced their opposition to the bill, as have numerous Democrats.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/house-to-vote-on-tax-plan-today-1.php

[Clio the Leo]

1. Are they short on votes?

This from a Capitol Hill reporter...

URGENT URGENT URGENT - House Democrats just pulled the rule off the floor for the tax deal - must be short on votes
http://twitter.com/#!/jamiedupree/status/15461469323796480

[emulatorloo]

2. interesting.

[Clio the Leo]

3. lol everyone's too busy arguing they're missing the news...

.... lemme try it again.......

[emulatorloo]

11. HA HA - I meant it, I thought that post was interesting!

Thanks for starting this thread. There is something going on in the house for sure.

[Clio the Leo]

15. lol I know YOU did....

.... I'm just glad I'm home on Staycation to see it all.

[emulatorloo]

25. Me too! I guess I outta put on the TEEVEE/

[Clio the Leo]

4. kicking ..... stuff's happening!

[polichick]

5. Why aren't they fighting the payroll tax holiday that's so threatening to social security? nt

[vaberella]

6. Maybe it's not as threatening as some people make it out to be? n/t

[polichick]

9. I wish that was true. nt

[whosinpower]

24. They are holding their breath on that one

Selling it as a democratic principle is a hideous betrayal. An outright lie. Obama's A$$ would be on the line if someone dared speak out against it - and that also puts the democrat's a$$ on the line too.

[polichick]

30. So many sellouts - it's really disheartening...

Though I'm still hoping they'll fight it.

[Clio the Leo]

31. Um ... they're fighting it....

.... hence the thread.

[polichick]

32. "Um" nothing - I mean fight the payroll tax holiday. nt

[Clio the Leo]

34. Umm .... if they kill the whole bill..

.... they'd kill the payroll tax holiday with it.

(good news! that's not's what's happening)

[polichick]

35. You missed the point. nt

[Clio the Leo]

36. I think even THIS discussion has been reduced to the age-old battle ...

.... between the pragmatist and the ideologue.

[polichick]

37. As I said, you missed the point. Democrats protect Social Security, period. nt

[Clio the Leo]

40. Democrats help the little man ....

... and they argue a lot over how to do that.

[polichick]

41. Nope - maybe your "pragmatic" hero does that. Democrats...

...protect Social Security.

[Clio the Leo]

42. Ok, ok, Obama looks out for the little man....

.... you win.

[polichick]

43. That's what he talks about at least - but, as he has said, he is a "New Democrat"...

...and it certainly shows.

[Sherman A1]

7. Hmmmm

:popcorn:

[Clio the Leo]

8. Got some for me? nt

[Sherman A1]

44. Certainly, but

that pumpkin pie avatar looks very tasty!



In the immortal words of Toby Ziegler...... "I need some pie".

[emulatorloo]

13. Microwave or the real thing?

I gotta say one thing for the past couple weeks in the Congress. It sure isn't boring. . .

[Clio the Leo]

14. you can make popcorn in something OTHER than the microwave?

that's just crazy talk! lol

[emulatorloo]

17. YES! hot air or even in a pan with grease!

[Clio the Leo]

27. Fortunately, we have a lot of hot air here. :-) nt

[emulatorloo]

29. LOL n/t

[emulatorloo]

10. Breaking on CNN- Dems pull tax bill from House floor

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=21363&mesg_id=21363

[Clio the Leo]

12. "who exactly had problems w the #taxes rule that was pulled: "Just about everybody."

http://twitter.com/#!/Todd_Zwillich/status/15471499439775744

[doc03]

16. Why all the theatrics, just vote on the damn thing and get

it over with.

[Clio the Leo]

20. This isn't theatrics .... they're apparently dont have the votes to pass. nt

[doc03]

23. I think everyone has known they would pass it months

ago, just do it or shut the f--- up.. It can only damage the Democrats, the media is playing it up the Democrats are holding up (everyone's) tax cut and unemployment.

[Clio the Leo]

28. lol, you should get a job as a reporter!

.... you've made it so easy to understand.

They're doing this for ratings apparently.

[vaberella]

45. And this is Obama's tax cut bill, right?! n/t

[Clio the Leo]

18. ** "no one seems to know what the Dem leadership will do next on tax deal"

http://twitter.com/#!/jamiedupree/status/15471916441665536

[AndrewP]

19. Kick

:kick:

[jefferson_dem]

21. More details here.

BREAKING: House Democratic leaders pull the tax bill from the House floor
By: CNN Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh

Washington (CNN) – As the debate over how the tax cut bill will be brought to the floor and voted on was wrapping up, House Democratic leaders abruptly PULLED the "rule" from the floor because they don't know if they have enough votes to even bring the tax bill to the floor, according to a senior Democratic leadership aide.

Before the debate on the tax bill starts, the House first needs to pass the rule on how the debate and votes will go, with a simple majority vote. Because Republicans will all vote against the rule set by Democratic leaders – Pelosi and Democratic leaders need to pass the rule just with Democratic votes.

With so many House Democrats unhappy with the tax bill, many don't want to even bring it up, so leaders pulled the bill and are "whipping it" according to the Democratic leadership aide – counting to make sure they can even pass the rule.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/16/breaking-house-democratic-leaders-pull-the-tax-bill-from-the-house-floor/

[Clio the Leo]

26. Why is the GOP voting NO on how debate will go?

Are they trying to block a change to the estate tax? Or is this "tradition" or what?

Crazy.


And I the only one wishing the CSPAN camera would PAN OUT ATM lol

[Clio the Leo]

22. What's NOT clear.....

... is the problem that the estate tax amendment had enough votes that it would force the bill back to the Senate? Or there weren't enough votes to pass the bill all together? Or what.

Oh how I'd LOVE to be in the Oval right now.

[Clio the Leo]

33. ** "“We’re just trying to work out some kinks,”

Rep. Slaughter says she still expects vote later today.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/134049-house-tax-vote-could-be-delayed


Work out some Kinks?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

38. All Three Cable News Stations Are Lambasting The Dems For Their Fecklessness

.

[whosinpower]

47. Isn't it strange.....

They never did that to the party of NO.

[Clio the Leo]

39. ** "Some Dems say a confusing rule & parliamentary situation has led ..."

"Some Dems say a confusing rule & parliamentary situation has led to lack of votes for tax deal"
http://twitter.com/#!/jamiedupree/status/15482396346417153

[Phx_Dem]

46. Another update from TPM . .

2:08 p.m.

"The latest we're getting from the House on the tax cut package being stalled is that leadership is optimistic progressives' discontent can be resolved and the final vote still held today, although it may not be until tonight, rather than this afternoon. That's according to Rule Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY).

The sticking point seems to be providing enough opportunities -- through votes or proposed amendments or both -- for progressives to register their objections to the Obama compromise before its ultimate passage.

In that sense this is more theater than anything else. But until you get this kind of thing resolved it introduces an element of doubt."

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/12/tax_cut_vote_likely_delayed.php?ref=fpblg

[whosinpower]

48. Ah yes - cue the democrats who have nothing left to lose

You know - the ones who are leaving anyways.......

This was all predicted by Wall Street Journal. The white house would pressure the 52(?) democrat congressmen who were NOT RE ELECTED to vote for this plan. Gives the sitting democrats room to object without endangering the bill. If they all vote for it along with the republicans - the bill will pass.

Kabuki theatre.

[Clio the Leo]

49. ** PELOSI SAYS TAX VOTE IS STILL ON...

PELOSI SAYS TAX VOTE IS STILL ON: Tells reporters the plan is still to have House vote tonight, despite Dem rebellion.
http://twitter.com/#!/LisaDCNN/status/15514308825849859

[Clio the Leo]

50. ** Weiner telling Ed that Rep. DeFazio was the one who "put the breaks on it"..

.... I'm allowed to call Rep DeFazio "Gossip Girl"?

I know ... behave. Bad Clio.