Dems plan vote on middle-class tax cuts

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. House Democrats plan to hold a separate vote on the extension of tax cuts on incomes less than $250,000, an aide to the majority leader told The Hill.

"There will be a vote on middle class only" before the end of the lame-duck session, the aide to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said.

Republicans have been balking at separate votes on the tax cut extensions, saying they support cuts for "all Americans."

President Barack Obama has consistently resisted extending the Bush-era cuts for the wealthiest Americans, but senior adviser David Axelrod indicated an openness on the part of the administration to extend cuts across the board in light of the drubbing Democrats took in the Nov. 2 midterm elections.

The Democrats' plan would cost $3 trillion over the next 10 years, while the GOP plan would add another $700 billion to that cost, The Hill said. All of the tax cuts will expire at the end of the year unless Congress acts to extend them.