Tax Deal Expected to Pass in Senate
The Wall Street Journal reports:
Democrats are predicting that a much-debated tax agreement will clear a crucial hurdle comfortably in the Senate on Monday, with a margin that they hope will add momentum to the deal in the House.
But even with President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and a growing number of Senate Democrats backing the deal, House Democrats remained eager to test whether they could push Republicans to raise the proposed tax rate on estates.
It wasn't clear how far House Democrats would push such a fight. If a bill isn't passed by the end of the year, tax rates are scheduled to go up, although the White House could block an immediate increase in withholding levels, pending passage of a tax bill by a new Congress next year.
Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a top adviser to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, predicted Sunday that some sort of tax deal would pass in the House before the current session ends.
The House is "very focused on getting a comprehensive tax compromise passed by the end of the year," Mr. Van Hollen said in an interview. If Republicans won't alter the estate-tax provision, he added, "then we have to go from there."
In a separate interview on Fox News Sunday, Mr. Van Hollen said: "We're not going to hold this thing up at the end of the day, but we do think that simple question should be put to test. We're going to ask the Republicans and others, are they going to block this entire deal" over the level of taxes on estates?
Three Senate aides said the tax package appeared likely to attract at least 65 to 70 supporters Monday in a procedural vote in the Senate to test whether there is support to block a potential filibuster. Sixty votes are needed for the bill to cross that hurdle. A vote on final passage is expected a day or two later.
