Good news and bad news.
First the good, No line-item veto for Bush, that attachment to the Minimum Wage bill was tabled, it's not going to happen.
Now the bad news:
Below the fold.....
Edit one: expanded
According to The Raw Story, the "clean" Minimum Wage bill that the House wanted to be passed into law is not going to happen.
Republicans filibustered the bill without a small business tax break and with a vote of 54-43, the Dems could not break it.
Reid expects that an attachment of a tax break is is going to happen:
Republicans and some Democrats are also hoping to attach a tax cuts and accounting simplification for small business in order to aid the bill's passage through the Senate.
House Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has indicated a willingness to work with Senate Republicans to pass a bill.
"Majority Leader Reid has taken a look at the votes and doesn't believe a so-called 'clean' minimum wage bill passing through the Senate is possible," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Reid.
Why is this significant?
I am all for helping small businesses thrive, even through tax cuts, that is not the issue. The problems arise with PAYGO and when the Senate and House have to reconicle the bill in committee if the Senate passes with the tax cuts.
Regarding PAYGO:
In addition to offering tax breaks for small business, the tax bill will also close loopholes on tax revenue from corporations in order to pay for the measures.
Senate Democrats are following the pay-as-you-go principles (PAYGO) in budget matters, meaning the cost of every proposed expense must be accounted for.
House Democrats have already passed PAYGO into their budget rules.
The White House's Office of Management and Budget Friday issued a release saying the Administration does not think it is necessary to tie small business tax relief to revenue increases.
Also the bill could die there and no one wants that.
House Democrats have expressed little enthusiasm for a minimum wage bill including tax breaks.
Procedural issues between the House and the Senate could slow the passage of the bill into law, as well.
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, has stated his desire for a "clean" minimum wage bill.
Rangel has also reminded Senate Democrats in the past week that, constitutionally, any tax bills - including the small business tax bills -must originate in the House, opening up another area of possible contention between a Senate and the House bills.
So in summation:
Tax cuts are good, but the issue of PAYGO is a problem to the House and some Dem Senators.
Reconciling the Bill might be a problem between the House and Senate because of the House wanting this bill to be "clean".
I still think this gets done with the attached tax cuts but we shall see how much House members like Rangel want to push the issue.