GOP move nearly kills Democratic tax bill
By Mike Soraghan
Posted: 04/16/08 06:45 PM [ET]

Tax return day very nearly took the life of House Democrats’ signature tax simplification initiative, as conservative Democrats continued to defy House leadership’s requests on handling procedural votes.


A measure that would have killed the Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008 failed on a 210-210 tie vote, despite vote-shifting after the clock ran out. Twenty-one Democrats voted for the measure, which also would have changed the tax bill to prevent illegal immigrants from getting tax breaks.



The 21 Democrats, who included some of the House’s most conservative and most vulnerable members, ignored a specific request from leaders not to support such Republican procedural motions, which have the effect of killing the underlying bill.


The tie vote came with some procedural wrangling. The vote was held open with the clock at 0:00 as the narrow margin fluctuated by a vote or two. Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) walked to the desk with a red card to change his vote to no, as Republicans sought additional supporters. He later changed his vote to yes.


In addition to Terry, The Congressional Record indicates that Reps. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and Mark Souder (R-Ind.) changed their votes from no to yes on the Republican motion. Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Tom Allen (D-Maine), Robert Brady (D-Pa.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Susan Davis (D-Calif.) changed their votes from yes to no.


The vote was gaveled closed by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) in the Speaker’s chair after someone on the Democratic side shouted, “Shut it down, Sheila.â€