Estate Tax Repeal via Dems Cantwell/Landrieu/Nelson(s) + Chafee(?)

[papau]

Senate Repeal Inheritance Tax Fails(Frist Promises Future Votes on Issue)
The Wall Street Journal's Harwood reports that GOPers in both House and Senate were mulling the possibility of passing a "security-only bill" before the midterms (because Bilbray won using a screw Mexicans promise) while business groups prepare to push a separate visa increase for "skilled workers."

The Wall Street Journal's Brody Mullins and Robert Guy Matthews report that Dr./Leader/Sen. Frist hopes to persuade Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) to support a compromise on estate-tax repeal that would tax only the estates of the wealthiest Americans. "Yesterday afternoon, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Landrieu and other Senate Democrats met in Mr. Frist's office to discuss a deal. Ms. Landrieu, who voted against the full estate-tax repeal, 'does think there is room for a compromise (the two compromises that have been floated give the rich 84% and 80% of the cost of full repeal),' her spokesman said."

Senate Plan to Repeal Inheritance Tax Fails
Frist Promises Future Votes on Issue

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 9, 2006; Page A06

The Senate rejected a plan yesterday to permanently repeal the federal tax on inherited estates, but lawmakers continued to negotiate behind the scenes to try to find a compromise that would reduce the levy significantly.

Voting 57 to 41, the Senate fell three votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate and move to consider a Republican proposal that would have eliminated the estate tax. The levy is currently phasing out and will vanish in 2010, only to spring back to life in 2011.

Republican Sens. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.) and George V. Voinovich (Ohio) voted against the measure that would have cut off debate. Democrats Max Baucus (Mont.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Bill Nelson (Fla.) voted to terminate the debate<snip>