Extender bill could return to House committee

House leaders on Thursday are weighing whether legislation extending several expired measures should return to the Ways and Means Committee. 

The move would allow members to work out differences between the extender bill that already passed the chamber and what the Senate wants the legislation to include. 

"We're suppose to find out a little bit more this afternoon," said Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), who sits on the committee. 

Ways and Means Chairman Sandy Levin (D-Mich) said no decision has been made on the issue, but said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) wants the bill on the floor within the next 2 weeks. 

"It was framed that it [the extender bill] would be up in the next couple of weeks; that's what Steny said," Levin said about his meeting with Hoyer this morning. 

At issue are differences between House and Senate tax-writers on how they want to pay for the bill. Levin's desire to tax carried interest as ordinary income is getting resistance in the Senate. 

"I think the work we have done indicates that we amend the Senate bill, proceed with it on the floor, but what we do to get ready for that has to be decided," Levin said, adding, "We have to take the Senate bill and make some changes in it, including [putting] the infrastructure provisions into it." 

Levin is referring to Build America Bonds and how they would be structured to provide assistance to states without being too expensive for the federal government. 

"We're looking at how we make it effective and how we pay for it," Levin said. "Final decisions haven't been made."