House Votes to Extend All Bush-Era Tax Cuts

Defying President Obama and the Senate, the House voted to extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts today.

The 256-171 vote saw 19 Democrats cross party lines to vote for the measure, and one Republican — retiring Rep. Tim Johnson (R-Ill.) — voted against it.

House Republicans allowed a vote on the Obama-approved version similar to the one that passed the Senate, ending the tax cut for upper-income brackets. That failed 170-257, with 19 Democrats voting against it.

“The White House and leading Senate Democrats want to double down on these policies with massive tax increases that will hit small businesses, not to pay down the debt but to simply chase unsustainable spending increases,” House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said. “There is bipartisan opposition to this failed approach, and to provide certainty and confidence for job creators, the time to act is now.”

In 2010, 86 Democrats voted to extend all of the Bush tax cuts. Many of those were not expected to repeat that vote this time around, such as Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).