After all the shouting and procedural feints, the Obama-McConnell tax deal has passed in the House, decisively, 277-148. The vote came after a late-night amendment to raise the estate tax to 2009 levels — $3.5 million ($7 million total for a married couple) and a maximum tax rate of 45 percent — failed 194-233.
Interestingly enough, by the narrowest of margins more Democrats than Republican voted ‘yea’ on the bill — 139 Democrats and 138 Republicans. By contrast, 112 Democrats were joined by 36 Republicans in opposition.
Notable names among the Republican nays: Bachmann (Minn.), Barton (Texas), Chaffetz (Utah), Flake (Arizona), Garrett (N.J.), Graves (Ga.), Hoekstra (Mich.), King (Iowa), Pence (Ind.), Shadegg (Ariz.).