GOP's Plan B fails to garner enough support for House vote

The Republican's plan to solve the so-called fiscal cliff will not come to a vote tonight as previously announced, reported CNN.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) originally planned to push a vote on the Republican's plan, called Plan B, despite the Democrat's opposition -- a move on Boehner's part to put increasing pressure on the President and Democrats to compromise. However, the speaker eventually conceded that it would not come to a vote at all, due to a lack of sufficient GOP support.

Plan B would have raised taxes on those making over $1 million a year. President Obama's initial proposal aimed to extend the Bush tax cuts only for those making less than $250,000 annually.

He later said in a statement, "Now it is up to the president to work with Senator (Harry) Reid on legislation to avert the fiscal cliff."

CNN reports that the events could lead to more intense talks between the two sides or stall negotiations.

Update: Some of the Republicans who refused to go along with Boehner's Plan B were those whose committee assignments were pulled from them recently, although other defectors were "influential conservatives," reported the New York Times.

While the House did not vote on Plan B, it did vote on a separate measure comprising $310 billion in budgets cuts, the savings from which was shifted to the Pentagon, reported the Times.

[Image via AFP]