The Vote to Proceed to H.R. 4853

On December 13, at approximately 2:30 PM, the Senate began their debate on the Tax Relief deal made between the President and the Republican leaders. Some Senators were thoughtful while others were definitive in their belief that this tax bill would be the worst detriment to the American public. John McCain went off on a tangent discussing the earmarks that were included in the bill (such as ethanol), and mentioned the poker legislation as well. At 3PM, a cloture vote was invoked to close the debate. The vote was held open due to bad weather in the Midwest, delaying some of the Senators. By 4:31 PM, 69 Senators voted to proceed, with 10 voting against. Once the rest of the Senators cast their votes, the Senate will move to vote on the actual Tax Cuts Bill.