Dems Plan House Vote on Middle Class Tax Cuts
The Hill reports:
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Wednesday a House vote on extending only middle-class income tax cuts would not undermine bipartisan negotiations on a broader compromise for the most contentious issue of the lame-duck congressional session.
Hoyer confirmed he would schedule a Thursday vote on permanently extending the George W. Bush-era tax cuts for American families earning as much as $250, 000 a year. The vote will not address the income tax rates for the highest earners, which Republicans and some Democrats also want extended. All of those tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year.
The Democratic move comes as negotiators for the House, Senate and White House began bipartisan talks on resolving a months-long impasse over the issue. Many in Washington believe those discussions will ultimately result in a temporary extension for all the current tax rates.
“No, I don’t think it will undermine [the negotiations], nor is it intended to embarrass or to put Republicans in a difficult place,” Hoyer told reporters at his weekly briefing.
While acknowledging the partisan dispute over tax cuts for the wealthy, Hoyer insisted the vote was an effort to move forward on an issue where both parties agree.
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