(AP) — The House has passed a bill to extend middle-class tax cuts
while letting those for the wealthy expire, even as talks continue on
extending the cuts for everyone.
The bill is a political maneuver to satisfy Democratic supporters who
oppose extending tax cuts for the wealthy. Even if the bill passes the
House, it has no chance in the Senate, where Democrats need Republican
support to pass a tax bill.
Sweeping tax cuts enacted under former President George W. Bush
expire at the end of the year. A small bipartisan group of lawmakers and
Obama administration officials continued negotiating Thursday on a deal
that could extend all the tax cuts, at least temporarily.
