All this became moot three days later when House Republicans reversed course and accepted the Senate bill without changes. The acceptance was by "unanimous consent" with no recorded vote.
Begun this year, the tax cut is a stimulus under which 160 million U.S. workers contribute 4.2 percent of their pay to Social Security, down from the standard 6.2 percent. The House and Senate will seek agreement in early 2012 on extending the Social Security, unemployment compensation, and Medicare initiatives through December.
A yes vote was to shelve the Senate-passed version of HR 3630.
Voting yes: Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Pat Meehan (R., Pa.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), Jon Runyan (R., N.J.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).
Voting no: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), John Carney (D., Del.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), and Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.).
Senate v. House tax cuts. Voting 183-238, the House on Tuesday defeated a Democratic bid to instruct any conference committee that meets on HR 3630 (above) to favor the bipartisan Senate-passed version of the bill. Senators passed that version Dec. 17 with the support of 96 percent of Democrats and 85 percent of Republicans. The rival House version was approved Dec. 13 with backing from 94 percent of Republicans and 6 percent of Democrats.
