Senate Republicans’ typo delays tax cut legislation

I know this could happen to anyone, and I’m the last person who should be criticizing others for typos, but I thought this was comical.

Just as the Senate was preparing to debate and vote on its massive tax cut legislation, they discovered a minor error that will delay the whole process.

Senate Republicans put the wrong bill number on the legislation.

While that might seem like an inconsequential error, it actually will have a substantive impact. Republicans quickly asked that the typo be corrected so that the legislation could move forward. Democrats, who saw little reason to help, said no.

This means the legislation has to go back to committee to be re-approved with the correct bill number.

It also throws off the president’s travel schedule a bit. Bush has been visiting states with “on the fence” senators in the hopes of changing a few votes with increased public pressure. Bush’s visits were scheduled to coincide with Senate debate on the tax cut and the final vote. Now, thanks to the delay in the process, the debate that was supposed to start yesterday may not begin until tomorrow.

“This is not what we needed this week,” one Republican aide said, shaking his head.

The irresponsible cut will probably pass anyway, but it’s fun to chuckle at these little screw ups.