Falling six votes short of the 67 votes needed, Senators rejected a Republican amendment to remove a reform law provision requiring businesses to report supply purchases of $600 or more with a single vendor. Senators also defeated a Democratic measure that would accomplish the same thing but would not be paid for in budget cuts.
Senators disagreed on provisions to invest decision-making powers to determine any spending cuts. The Senate failed to pass a similar pair of partisan bills in September.
Most major business groups want to repeal the provision, which is expected to raise $18 billion in revenue over 10 years starting in 2012.
Read The Hill report on the rejected amendments to the healthcare reform law.
Read more coverage of the tax-reporting provisions:
– Senate Fails to Pass Bills to Soften, Repeal Tax Provision in Reform Law
– Senate Republicans Seek to Scrap New Tax Reporting Provisions in Health Reform Law
