The Senate just passed the tax deal negotiated by Barack Obama and Republican congressional members in an 81 to 19 vote for the measure. (Roll call will be found here in approximately an hour)Next stop the House of Representatives where Democratic leadership has indicated they will try to change the deal but which projections predict will pass basically as is after Democrats put on a "show" to save face and to appease their far left liberal base that has been howling over the deal because of the inclusion of the estate tax deal which would set the tax at 35 percent and increase the exemption to $5 million.
House Democratic efforts to block President Obama’s tax bill have dwindled into a battle to save face as they come to the realization they will have little opportunity to rework the bipartisan compromise.
Party leaders were debating on Tuesday whether to bring up amendments to the bill for a vote even as Democrats acknowledged the overwhelming Senate support for the tax deal created an “urgency” to get legislation to the president’s desk.
The House is not expected to take the issue up until tomorrow.
More to come as reactions come out.
[Update] Now being reported by The Hill, Bloomberg, NPR, NYT.
[Update #2] Those that voted against it listed below:
NAYs ---19
Bingaman (D-NM)
Coburn (R-OK)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Feingold (D-WI)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Merkley (D-OR)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sessions (R-AL)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wyden (D-OR)
.