WASHINGTON — Virtually certain of losing a showdown vote in the Senate, Democrats frustrated in their quest to extend jobless benefits and help for doctors facing Medicare payment cuts are scaling back a catchall tax and spending bill.
Anxiety over record budget deficits is fueling the moves, which include rolling back last year's $25 a week increase in unemployment checks and giving doctors just a short reprieve from scheduled cuts in their Medicare payments.
First, however, comes a key vote Wednesday morning on a sweeping measure containing many provisions long overdue for completion by Congress, including the renewal of jobless benefits and dozens of popular but expired tax breaks for individuals and businesses.
It'll take at least two Republicans to clear a supermajority hurdle requiring 60 votes in the 100-member Senate since the pending version violates budget rules by adding $80 billion to the deficit over the upcoming decade.
Those votes are lacking, Democrats admit, even though an earlier version passed the Senate fairly easily just three months ago. Now, with voter anger over deficits rising, GOP support has evaporated, which means Democrats will have to pull out the shears and cut the measure back to have any hope of passing it with the handful of Republican votes that will be needed.
As a result, people on unemployment insurance are likely to see their benefits cut by $25 a week. Doctors are likely to win only a seven- month reprieve from a 21 percent cut in their Medicare payments that's set to take effect Friday.
