House Democrats Reject Tax Plan Unless Changed


In a stunning rebuke to President Barack Obama, House Democratic revolted Thursday morning by voting to block the extension of the Bush tax cuts in the lame-duck session of Congress.

Democrats took the nonbinding voice vote behind closed doors, agreeing not to approve the compromise that the president negotiated with GOP leaders this week.

The voice vote appeared to be nearly unanimous. The Democratic resolution declared: “The Democratic Caucus resolves that in its present form, the tax package should not come to the floor of the House.”

The vote means House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders will have to negotiate changes in the bill to make it more palatable to House Democrats before they can bring it to the House floor for a vote. The Obama administration has insisted that the compromise must be approved as is and cannot be modified.