Breaking: Democrats to Add "Fix" to Tax Cut Compromise That Would Could Seriously Jeopardize Passage, Update: Pomeroy Failed

In order to ensure that the liberal Democrats will vote for the tax compromise, leaders have are attempting to pass an amendment that will likely kill the bill in the Senate:

Moments ago, House Rules Committee chair Louise Slaughter (D., N.Y.) told reporters “we are going to put an extra vote in” to the rule governing debate on the tax deal.

House Democrats say there will likely be a total of four votes tonight related to the tax bill:

1) A vote to amend the existing rule to include a simple up-or-down vote on the tax deal.

2) A vote on the rule itself

3) A vote on the Pomeroy amendment, which would increase estate tax rates from the levels in the Senate bill.

4) A vote on final passage of the bill.

If 1-4 all pass, the bill would go to the Senate, where it is likely dead in the water. If the Pomeroy amendment fails, and the Senate version of the bill is passed unchanged, it would go directly to the president’s desk.

If this passes, they would raising the estate tax in the House version of the bill, which would be an ender in the Senate.

Update: Pomeroy failed:

Opposition in the House crumpled in the face of that overwhelming showing, though House liberals insisted on offering an alternative that would levy a higher tax on estates than the Obama-GOP compromise will impose. That effort failed shortly before midnight, 194 to 233.