No quick vote on tax plan

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

In a day of political maneuvering, Democrats and then Republicans took turns blocking a quick Senate vote on President Barack Obama’s proposal to extend expiring tax cuts for a year on everyone but the highest-earning Americans.

With each side trying to embarrass the other on one of the election year’s foremost issues, the result was that senators won’t vote on Obama’s plan this week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., promised they would vote on it before Congress leaves town for its August recess, despite GOP opposition to the proposal.

“We know Republicans won’t do anything that helps President Obama, even if it’s good for the economy, because their No.1 goal is to defeat the president,” Reid said.

Republicans accused Democrats of blocking the vote because they were afraid of supporting a measure that would in effect boost taxes on high-earning business owners at a time when the country is thirsting for jobs.