Senate Leaders Unveil Package of Tax Cuts

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and CARL HULSE
NYT

WASHINGTON — Senate leaders on Thursday evening formally unveiled the huge tax cut package worked out between the White House and Republicans and immediately began debating it, while House Democrats rebelled against President Obama and threatened to keep the measure from ever reaching the floor.

A procedural vote was scheduled in the Senate for Monday evening to overcome a filibuster by Democrats opposed to the plan. But in a first test on Thursday, the Senate voted 65 to 11 on a technical issue related to the bill, suggesting it would not be difficult to secure the 60 votes needed to defeat the filibuster.

Despite the opposition in the House, Mr. Obama expressed confidence in an interview on National Public Radio that the package would be approved.

“Here’s what I’m confident about,” Mr. Obama said. “That nobody, Democrat or Republican, wants to see people’s paychecks smaller on Jan. 1 because Congress didn’t act."

(More here.)