Votes Aimed to Embarrass Other Party Fill Congress Calendar
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In offering up a “Buffett rule” proposal for a vote today, Senate Democrats are following a pattern of measures designed to raise taxes for millionaires and end tax breaks for oil companies, just as Senate Republicans have sought votes to speed a Canadian oil pipeline.
All the votes have one thing in common: They are doomed to fail while yielding fodder for campaign ads. Party leaders are seeking an edge by forcing the other party to defeat a popular measure ahead of the November election, which will determine control of the White House and Congress.