Washington ( CNN ) -- The U.S. House on Wednesday took the opposite action on tax cuts as the Senate , rejecting a Democratic proposal championed by President Barack Obama to extend lower tax rates for middle-income Americans , and then passing a Republican plan to maintain the lower rates for everyone for a year . In separate votes that amounted to political posturing in an election year , House Republicans joined by more than a dozen Democrats passed the GOP measure by a 256-171 margin . Minutes earlier , a similar tally defeated the Democratic alternative that would maintain the lower rates for income up to $ 250,000 for families and $ 200,000 for individuals for a year . Wednesday 's votes extended a congressional stalemate over the Bush tax cuts from 2001 and 2003 that has come to symbolize legislative inaction in Washington . Why House tax vote is really about drawing battle lines for the fall . Last week , the Senate passed the Democratic version in a sharply polarized 51-48 vote , while the Republican plan was defeated 45-54 . Normally , a congressional conference committee would negotiate a compromise between the measures passed by each chamber , but the volatile tax issue has little chance of receiving further consideration before the November election . Republicans seeking to shrink the size of government oppose any higher taxes and argue the Democratic plan of allowing rates to increase on higher-income Americans will stunt economic growth . GOP leaders say anything short of renewing all the current tax rates amounts to a massive tax increase on small businesses whose owners report their income through personal rather than corporate returns . Democrats contend Republicans are holding hostage tax breaks for the middle class -- including 97 % of small business owners -- in order to keep lower tax rates for 2 % of American taxpayers earning in excess of the $ 250,000 threshold . Both sides agree on extending the lower rates for middle-income Americans , Democrats argue , but they say Republicans are preventing that from happening out of allegiance to a dogmatic opposition to any kind of tax increase on even the wealthiest Americans . Opinion : Why are tax hikes politically radioactive ? Democrats also point to polling that shows a majority of Americans support their approach . Wednesday 's votes completed each party 's opening bid in what is sure to be a frenzied legislative negotiating session after the November vote . The economy is approaching a so-called `` fiscal cliff '' brought on by the looming expiration of several tax cuts as well as the approach of a series of mandatory spending cuts . Senate votes on competing tax plans . CNN 's Alan Silverleib , Ted Barrett and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .
The House measure extends the Bush tax cuts for everyone . House Republicans reject a Democratic version to extend most but not all tax cuts . The Senate did the opposite last week , passing the Democratic plan . No further action on possible tax reform is expected until after the November election .