Democratic Leaders Postpone AMT Vote

Democratic leaders in the House have postponed a vote on legislation extending protections for most taxpayers confronting the alternative minimum tax this year after scrambling all day to shore up last-minute support for the measure among centrists in the party.

The bill was previously scheduled to be on the floor Friday. But leaders decided instead to focus their energy - and messaging - on another bill to force the phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, according to numerous Democratic aides. That measure has created its own headaches for party leaders searching for the votes necessary to approve the bill.

The combined leadership made the decision late Thursday night after vowing earlier in the day to move forward with both bills. The AMT patch is expected on the floor next week, but this is the fourth bill that majority leaders have been forced to postpone this fall in the face of resistance from their own members.

The Iraq measure would require the Pentagon to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by next December. It would also limit deployments to 12 months and create minimum rest requirements for soldiers in between active-duty tours.