I saw Ezra Klein discussing how this vote was symbolic because under the Constitution tax bills are required to originate in the House not the Senate, but I don't really buy the notion it was only a symbolic vote.
Here is my rational as to why the Republicans are really checkmated on this:
The vote to extend the Tax Cuts for Americans making $250,000 a year passed in the Senate, while the vote to extend all of the Bush Tax Cuts, including for the Rich, failed.
Therefore.
If the House Republicans were to send a Bill extending just the Middle Class tax cuts it would pass a Senate vote immediately. So by not sending such a bill to the Senate the House Republicans are raising taxes on the Middle Class. House Republicans own the Tax Increase.
However.
If the House Republicans bend to pressure and send the bill to extend the Middle Class tax cuts to the Senate, and Mitch McConnell decides to invoke the filibuster to block a re-vote on the extension ... then the Senate Republicans own the Middle Class tax increase, for the bill to extend the Middle Class Tax Cuts would pass without the obstruction.
So currently, anyway the Republicans move, besides passing the Middle Class Tax Cut extension in the House and Senate, they will own a Tax Increase on the American Middle Class.
As I said, checkmate.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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