Free Republic

House Republicans will need to pass their tax plan for a second time after the Senate parliamentarian ruled that provisions in the bill violated the rules governing the legislation. "Members are advised that we expect Senate Democrats to insist on a Byrd Point of Order on the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1, which is likely to be sustained," said guidance from House Majority Whip Steve Scalise's office, which was sent to GOP lawmakers. "As such, Members are further advised that an additional procedural vote on the Motion to Concur is expected tomorrow morning, which will clear the bill for...

RUSH: We have a deal. It looks like we have a compromise here between the… (sigh) I’m not sure what I’ve been told is the right thing. The House and Senate are meeting on the tax bill, and if this is the conference committee…? Is that what’s been going…? (interruption) Okay, we have a deal in the conference committee. That’s a big deal. That means the House and Senate have agreed on one form of the bill. You know, the House passed their bill and the Senate passed theirs. And after that you have to go to conference between the...

Biden told them last night in a meeting that no changes would be made, so they could either take it or leave it. Verdict: Leave it. Defying President Obama, House Democrats voted Thursday not to bring up the tax package that he negotiated with Republicans in its current form.“This message today is very simple: That in the form that it was negotiated, it is not acceptable to the House Democratic caucus. It’s as simple as that,” said Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen.“We will continue to try and work with the White House and our Republican colleagues to try and make...

WASHINGTON – With no fanfare, President Bush on Friday signed the most sweeping rewrite of corporate tax law in nearly two decades, showering $136 billion in new tax breaks on businesses, farmers and other groups. Intended to end a bitter trade war with Europe, the election-year measure was described by supporters as critically necessary to aid beleaguered manufacturers who have suffered 2.7 million lost jobs over the past four years. But opponents charged that the tax package had grown into a massive giveaway that will add to the complexity of the tax system and end up rewarding multinational companies that...

<p>WASHINGTON - As Congress struggles this week to complete a budget for fiscal 2004, the Republicans who control it are abandoning two of the top three tenets of their party's longstanding doctrine - spending restraint and a balanced budget - to achieve the third, massive tax cuts.</p>