Senate Democrats have drafted legislation on a proposed one-year tax plan and are circulating the document among chamber members, as they try to prevent the sections from leaking to the rank and file.

A copy of the 20-page draft was obtained Saturday by Fox News and includes -- as largely anticipated -- cuts only for individuals earning up to $200,000 and families earning up to $250,000.

The legislation counters a House Republican plan to extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts for one year – with a pledge to do comprehensive tax reform in 2013.

Senate leaders are circulating the document in an attempt to learn whether they will have enough votes to pass the legislation, sources say.

Senate Republicans tried Wednesday to force leaders of the Democrat-controlled chamber to take a likely unpopular vote – tax cuts that would not extend to all Americans.

The vote came just two days after Obama urged Congress to pass his middle-class, tax-cut proposal and was blocked by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who late vowed, “We'll have votes on tax cuts this work period.”

The Nevada Democrat is now looking for a vote by the end of the month. And the cost of the proposal is about $272 billion for one year, at least one source said this weekend.

Reid also tried to force Republicans to a vote Wednesday, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declined because the legislation had yet to be drafted.

Retiring Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, have said they will vote against the proposal.

READ FULL SOURCE ARTICLE

Editor's Note: I hope everyone caught this straight away: "Reid also tried to force Republicans to a vote Wednesday, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declined because the legislation had yet to be drafted." How the hell do we allow elected officials to vote on things before they are even bill proposals? This is worse than having to "pass it befroe we can find out what's in it." It is time that Americans get vocal about the dysfunctional way the Senate and House go about their business of government. Every bill should be written in plain English, read before voted upon, published, debated and called for a vote. This dysfunctional operation and tactics like the pocket-veto political tyranny of Harry Reid's needs to come to an end and we need to be the force that makes it come to an end.


The BasicsProject.org informational and educational pamphlet series is now available for Kindle and iPad. Click here to find out more...


The New Media Journal and BasicsProject.org are not funded by outside sources. We exist exclusively on tax deductible donations from our readers and contributors. Please make a tax deductible donation today.