The Hill News

A key ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday urged Democratic leaders to hold a vote on the expiring Bush tax cuts this week.

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, said that Democratic leaders are leaving open the possibility of holding a vote this week, even though the scenario is appearing less likely. Miller said that leaders could decide what to do as early as Tuesday afternoon.

{mosads}"Well, it continues to be discussed within the Democratic leadership. We continue to talk to members -- we have over the weekend --to see whether or or not that vote can take place," he told CNBC. "I happen to think that is a vote that should take place."

Miller said that party leaders would huddles Tuesday afternoon and "probably" make a decision. Even though he and others would like to hold a vote, he said "we'll just have to see where the votes are."

Due to the gridlock over the issue and the political sensitivity of holding a vote before the November midterm elections, the Senate last punted on a tax cut extension vote until after campaign season. 

But House leaders had not ruled out holding a vote this week before Congress recesses to hit the campaign trail.

President Obama and other top Democrats, including Miller, want to hold a vote on extending the Bush tax cuts, which expire at the end of the year, for individuals earning below $200,000 and families earning below $250,000. The group also wants to allow the cuts for upper income earners to expire, arguing that the extending them would deepen the deficit too steeply.

But all Republicans and some centrist Democrats have said that all the cuts should be extended due to the fragile state of the economy and a struggling jobs market.

"If that's the price of getting the cuts for the middle class wager earners, then I think that's a problem," Miller said. 

The 18-term congressman expressed confidence that if a vote does not happen this week, Congress will ! handle the issue in the lame-duck session following the elections. 

I believe it will get handled in the lame duck. I think it's very important that this not wait until after the New Year," he said. "Congress has a great ability to miss its targets."