Senate Republicans block tax bill over medical device tax

Senate Republicans block tax bill over medical device tax-massdevice: Senate Republicans, infuriated over Democrats' refusal to allow amendments to a bill that would extend some tax cuts, voted to block the tax extenders bill yesterday. The GOP bloc wanted to introduce an amendment that would repeal the 2.3% medical device tax enacted as part of Obamacare and another to strike a wind production tax credit. But majority leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) closed off the minority's ability to introduce amendments and sent the tax bill to a cloture vote that need 60 "ayes" to pass.