Republicans Stop Dem Tax Cut Bill

As expected, Republicans blocked a proposed end to the Bush tax cuts for upper-income brackets in a rare Saturday Senate vote. The roll call was 53-36, with 60 needed to advance the legislation. Unless an agreement is reached among Republicans who want to extend all of the tax cuts and Democrats, who want to keep the tax cuts for taxpayers with incomes under $200,000 or couples with $250,000 combined, the Bush-era rates will expire January 1. Regardless of the next round of legislation, the legislation is expected to be tied to extending long-term unemployment benefits, which expired this week.