By pre-empting the House’s tax-writing authority, Senate Democrats appear to have touched off a power struggle with members of their own party in the House. The Senate passed the bill Tuesday, sending it to the House, but House Democrats are expected to use a procedure known as “blue slipping” to block the bill, according to House and Senate GOP aides.
The debacle could prove to be a major embarrassment for Senate Democrats, who sought Tuesday to make the relatively unknown bill a major political issue by sending out numerous news releases trumpeting its passage.
Section 107 of the bill includes a set of fees that are classified as revenue raisers, which are technically taxes under the Constitution. According to a House GOP leadership aide, that section has ruffled the feathers of Ways and Means Committee Democrats, who are expected to use the blue slip process to block completion of the bill.
“We understand there is a blue slip problem, and we expect the House to assert its rights under the Constitution to be the place where revenue bills begin,” the GOP aide said.
The blue slip leaves Senate Democrats with two options: drop the issue completely, a strategy that would allow them to pursue other last-minute priorities; or Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., could press the issue forward in the Senate after the House takes times to pass a new version of the bill. But, in order for that to happen in a timely manner, Roll call notes, Reid would have to secure unanimous consent on a motion to limit Senate debate — an unlikely possibility given opposition to the bill from Senators such as Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
