Turn on C-SPAN-- another held-open vote

As they did on the Medicare bill, the Republicans are refusing to gavel closed a House vote in which the count is against them.  The loss would be primarily a symbolic one as I understand it, but it's still worth taking a look at for C-SPAN junkies.

As I understand it, the roll-call vote currently being held open is on instructing the conferees to the conference committee on the budget bill.  I belive the issue is whether the pay-as-you-go rules will be applied to tax cuts as well as spending (along the lines of the Senate proposal), from some debate on the floor that I heard earlier.  The C-SPAN crawl suggests that an instruction to conferees is not strictly binding on them, but it would still be an embarrassing defeat for the Republicans for the conferees to be instructed to agree to the Senate version of the paygo rules.

The chair was just asked when he "expects to close the roll and announce the vote", and responded that he "can't predict the future"...

Now Rangel is pestering the chair to share the basis of his decision...

(Apologies for any incoherence-- I wanted to get this posted fast...)