Blue Dog leader: Extenders shouldn't happen before break

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), a co-chair of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, told reporters Thursday that a vote on the so-called tax extenders bill should be postponed until after the Memorial Day break.

"We believe that in light of what we are hearing from the Senate, that is the likely course," she said. "Since the Senate doesn't have the 60 votes — for what leadership would like to move today — it appears to me that given the time table we're on we're going to have to grapple with this [bill] after Memorial Day." 

Several senators want to amend the extenders bill after it hits their chamber. The process would mean that congressional work on the bill would not be completed by the Memorial Day recess. 

The congresswoman said postponing the vote would also give lawmakers more time to examine many of the provisions in the bill, namely increases in unemployment and COBRA insurance that were part of the Recovery Act but never vetted through committee.

"We've got constituents in our districts that are working and don't have health insurance, and yet we're going to continue to subsidize COBRA to people who may lose their jobs next month," she said, adding, "I feel these provisions want more scrutiny than they received versus just putting them together in a broad package — no changes, no questions asked — and asking us to vote for them." 

Herseth Sandlin told reporters that Blue Dogs have been expressing their concerns over the bill to House leadership for weeks, but nothing has appeared to sink in.

"While we have been invited to share our concerns, and leadership has listened, not everyone is hearing us," she said.

The congresswoman said many Blue Dogs oppose the bill, but the official total is unknown since no coalition vote has been taken on the matter.

Currently, the House is expected to vote on the extender bill around 3:30 this afternoon.