House-Passed Bipartisan Tax Bill Remains Stalled In Senate Finance Ctte

The USD$78 billion bipartisan tax bill appears on near collapse after negotiations between Senator Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and ranking Republican Mike Crapo (R-ID) failed to deliver any workable compromise.

• Senate GOP Whip John Thune (R-SD) told Punchbowl News yesterday: “I don’t think our members are in a place where there would be a significant enough vote...”
• Semafor reports: “Crapo first offered Child Tax Credit changes that Democrats believed would sink the bill. Then, Wyden proposed swapping out the controversial proposed “lookback” provision for the child credit and replacing it with another anti-poverty measure. Crapo nixed that.”
• Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) told reporters yesterday: “There’s a lot of interest to try to put up the House-passed bill as is. And I support that. I’m part of an effort to try to see whether we can get 60 votes to move the House bill as-is...”
• Roll Call notes: "Wyden has been adamant he wants the bill passed before tax filing season ends April 15," but said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would set the schedule - which will be complicated by a two-week Senate recess scheduled for March 25.
• Politico writes: "Schumer told reporters during a news conference last week that he planned to put the bill on the floor for a vote, but his office later had to walk that back.”