Harry Reid Will Force Vote On ‘Buffett Rule’ When Senate Reconvenes

Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Majority Leader, will reportedly force a vote on the “Buffett Rule” for the first time in Senate history. An aide for the Democrat stated that Reid is planning the vote for when the Senate comes back from a two-week recess on April 16th.

For those unfamiliar, the Buffett Rule would require citizens who make over $1 million to pay a minimum of 30 percent on their income for taxes. The legislation to make the Buffett Rule law was filed in January by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). The vote that Reid plans to force will see if the Senate will move forward with the bill or not.

Reid planned to file cloture (the required procedural motion to begin debate on a bill) on the legislation as he walked out of the door today, meaning that the Senate will vote on it as soon as it gets back from recess. It is definitely not coincidence that the vote is timed to be the day before tax season ends.

Jay Carney, White House Press Secretary commented about the rule that:

“In the next few weeks, Members of Congress will get a chance to vote on the Buffett Rule, and show the American people whether they are willing to make sure the middle class gets a fair shake…we urge Members to vote for this common sense approach.”

There is a very low chance that the bill will actually pass, considering that no Republican to date has even mentioned the possibility of supporting the bill. Harry Reid’s timing in the forced vote is also no coincidence, considering that this is election year. This vote will allow Democrats to continue to hammer their election-year message in: Republicans side with the rich, while Democrats continue to fight for the middle class.

President Obama can be counted among Harry Reid’s supporters in the Buffett Rule vote, as he fully supported the bill in his State of the Union address.

Check out the video below, where President Obama supports the Rule in the State of the Union:

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