By Robert Bluey
House Democrats maneuver blocks GOP amendments on tax 
vote
Texas Insider Report: Washington D.C. With their days numbered in control of the U.S. House Democrats are planning a political stunt Thursday in hopes of embarrassing Republicans on a vote to raise taxes.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced Democrats would disregard the Obama administrations ongoing negotiations with congressional Republicans and force a vote on taxes. Democrats will use a procedural maneuver preventing the GOP from offering an amendment to extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.
Republicans immediately voiced alarm at the move. While the vote would prevent tax hikes on Americans earning $250000 or less small businesses would face steep tax increases under the Democrats plan.
Without an opportunity to offer amendments Republicans are expected to vote against the measure. By doing so theyll give Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) one final opportunity to demagogue the issue. However it will likely be a short-lived victory. The measure has little chance of passing in the Senate.
Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee expressed his disappointment with the Democrats decision as negotiations with the administration continued.
This is disappointing and a sign of bad faith after the president agreed to bipartisan bi-cameral talks" Camp told Fox News. There will be bipartisan
opposition to the Democrats push to raise taxes on small business."
Given her authoritarian rule of the House its not surprising Pelosi is using a procedural political trick to force Thursdays floor vote. Democrats took a previously House-passed bill and replaced the language preventing Republicans from offering amendments.
It remains unclear how the Democrats maneuver will impact the Obama administrations negotiations over taxes a top issue for Republicans in the lame-duck session. Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) indicated the political stunt wouldnt help matters.
While we had a good meeting at the White House yesterday about how well resolve the issue of stopping all the tax hikes the House leaders are going to go down this path of gerrymandering the process so that members only have one option and thats to vote on only providing some tax relief to the American people" Boehner told The Hill.
I think its wrong it does undercut the conversation we had just yesterday."
