WASHINGTON — Speaker of the House John Boehner sent the House home for Christmas Thursday night, opting not to bring his “Plan B” bill to the floor when it became clear that he did not have the votes within his own caucus to pass it.
It is a major defeat for Boehner and the House Republican leadership
, who have spent the past two days pushing hard for the bill at the expense of negotiations with President Barack Obama. Thursday morning, Cantor confidently declared “we’re going to have the votes to pass” Plan B. Boehner made an equally confident declaration Wednesday that, “Tomorrow, the House will pass legislation to make permanent tax relief for nearly every American.”