House GOP puts off fiscal-cliff vote

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Confronted with a revolt among the rank and file, House Republicans abruptly put off a vote Thursday night on legislation allowing tax rates to rise for households earning $1 million and up, complicating attempts to avoid a year-end “fiscal cliff” that threatens to send the economy into recession.

In a brief statement, House Speaker John Boehner said the bill “did not have sufficient support from our members to pass.” At the same time, he challenged President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to work on legislation to avert the fiscal cliff.

“The Senate must now act,” Boehner, R-Ohio, said.

Emerging from a hurriedly called evening meeting of House Republicans, Ohio Rep. Steve LaTourette said Boehner had told lawmakers he’s “going to call the president, and he’s going to go down and talk to him and maybe they can hammer something out.”

There was no immediate response from either the White House or Reid’s office.

The legislation was crafted to prevent tax increases set to kick in Jan. 1, 2013, on tens of millions of Americans. But another provision that would have let rates rise for those at the upper-income range — a violation of long-standing Republican orthodoxy — triggered the opposition of anti-tax lawmakers inside the party.

The House will not meet again until after Christmas, if then, and the Senate is expected to meet briefly today, then not reconvene until Thursday.