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 House Democrats voted Thursday to reject President Barack Obama's tax deal with Republicans in its current form, but it was unclear how significantly the package might need to be changed.
Democrats are particularly incensed over concessions to the estate tax for the wealthy.
Obama agreed to exempt the first $5 million of a deceased person's estate, and to tax the rest at 35 percent.
 Congressional Democrats had expected a 45 percent tax rate on anything above $3.5 million.
Without congressional action, the estate tax will revert to an even higher rate: 55 percent on estates valued above $1 million. That should have strengthened Obama's hand when negotiating with Republicans, Van Hollen saidÂ
By voice vote in a closed caucus meeting, Democrats passed a resolution saying the tax package should not come to the House floor for consideration as written, even though no formal House bill has been drafted. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., introduced the resolution.
Said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas: "If it's take it or leave it, we'll leave it."
Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., said "it's a pretty clear message. We don't like the bill."
The vote will at least temporarily stall what had seemed to be a grudging Democratic movement toward the tax package. Before the caucus vote took place, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Obama's tax compromise embodies "the objective we need to reach" even though Democrats dislike several components.
"We're going to have an increase in taxes on working Americans ... if we continue to have gridlock," Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said on MSNBC.
Led by Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont, they said they were against "acceding to Republican demands to extend the Bush tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires."
"We're paying a king's ransom," Welch said in an interview. "We didn't need to and couldn't afford to."
Obama, sounding more Republican than Democratic, pushed for a third day for passage, stating that it will create thousands of jobs for Americans.Â
Exactly where and how it will create thousands of jobs remains a mystery, since the country lost jobs every year Bush was in office and has continued to lose jobs during Obama's administration in spite of the fact that the tax cuts were in place.
It seems to me that Obama, who let himself be held captive by Republicans over extension of unemployment benefits, has played right into the Republican's hands.Â
He DID NOT need to give in on tax cuts for the wealthy. Republicans are not stupid. They have never failed to extend unemployment benefits when needed. To do so would be political suicide and they know it.Â
Now, the Republicans will turn around and blame Obama for still more reckless spending as the deficit can do nothing but escalate with the Bush tax cuts in place.
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