Democrats May Delay Bush Tax Cut Vote

Senate Democrats appear to be leaning towards delaying a vote on the Bush tax cuts until after the midterm elections in November, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer John Nolen reports.

The 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress acts. President Obama has strongly urged Congress to extend them for everyone except for individuals making more than $200,000 or households making more than $250,000. Republicans, by contrast, have called for an extension of all the tax cuts. House Republicans today unveiled a legislative agenda that suggested permanently extending all of the tax cuts.

Democrats in Congress, meanwhile, are divided on how to proceed.

"It's a divided caucus," Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) said after a meeting of the Democratic caucus today, Nolen reports. "I don't think there is any clear decision."

Some moderate Democrats, both in the House and the Senate, say they would like to temporarily extend all of the tax cuts in light of the sluggish economy.

"Timing probably has as much to do with politics - more and more so - politics than policy," Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) said. "I think is probably better to do it after [the midterm elections] just because right now everything is so political, it's hard to get anything substantive done without a lot of politics in it."

Liberal pundits have pressed Democrats to pass an extension of the tax cuts for the middle class before the elections as a means of rallying Democratic voters. They point to polls showing most Americans agree that the tax cuts should be allowed to expire for the rich. Still, economic policy aside, some Democrats may be concerned that Republicans will accuse them of raising taxes if the cuts are not extended for everyone.

House Democratic leaders, meanwhile, have said they want the Senate to act before putting the matter up for a vote in the House.

Update 6:30 p.m. ET: Reid's office has released a statement confirming the vote on the tax cuts won't happen until after the midterm elections.

"Democrats believe we must permanently extend tax cuts for the middle-class before they expire at the end of the year, and we will. Unfortunately, to this point we have received no cooperation from Republicans to do so," said Reid spokesman Jim Manley. "Democrats will not allow families in Nevada and across the country to suffer or be held hostage by Republicans who would rather give tax giveaways to millionaires and corporations that ship jobs overseas. We will come back in November and stay in session as long as it takes to get this done."