This vote was on whether to allow to go forward an amendment to a bill that would extend several expired tax provisions, unemployment insurance benefits, Medicaid assistance to states, Medicaid doctor payment increases and other items.  Some fiscally conservative Democrats had been concerned with the amount that the bill would increase the deficit by, so the Democratic leadership offered several different versions that spent differing amounts.  This amendment was one attempt to modify the bill’s overall spending figures.  This particular amendment would have spent $140 billion and, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would add $78.7 billion to the deficit over the next 10 years.

Judd Gregg, R-N.H., attempted to defeat the measure with a parliamentary tactic as violating the Senate’s budgetary rules.  Max Baucus, D-Mont., then made a motion that the rules be waived in this case, which is what this vote was on.

Baucus said the measure would cut taxes for people by more than $4 billion and for businesses by more than $18 billion, and help ease the credit market for small business loans.

“This amendment is about creating good jobs,” Baucus said. 

Gregg said the bill “spends more money than we budgeted for and, as a result, it violates the budget. We are trying to get some fiscal discipline around here. This would be one of the places we should start.” 

By a vote of 45-52, the motion to waive the rules was rejected.  Of Democrats present, 44 voted to waive the rules (including all of the most progressive members) and 11 voted against.  Every Republican voted against waiving the rules.  The end result is that the motion to waive the rules failed and this particular version of a bill to extend expiring tax provisions, unemployment insurance and other items was defeated with a parliamentary maneuver.  Democrats continued debating the underlying bill and went back to the drawing board to formulate another version that spent less money.