The House of Representatives has approved a measure that would avoid looming cuts to defense spending and instead apply cuts to other programs.
Update at 7:53 p.m. ET: The House abruptly went into recess after the defense spending measure passed by such a narrow margin. The House was expected to vote on House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B," which deals with taxes, but there is question as to whether the Republicans will have enough votes to approve it.
Our Original Post Continues:
As C-SPAN explains, the House Republicans' tax measure "would permanently extend the Bush-era tax rates for everyone on the first $1 million of earned income."
The final vote on the Republican-backed spending bill that would reorganize the "sequestration" that is part of the end-of-year deadline that will bring broad tax hikes and spending cuts, was 215-209. The Hill reports that 21 Republicans voted against the measure.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said today that the Plan B legislation will not come to a vote in the Senate. And President Obama has vowed to veto the measure if it were to make it to his desk.
