Washington (CNN) -- A Senate vote to end debate on a Democratic measure to extend George W. Bush- era tax cuts for families making under $250,000 failed on Saturday, preventing the measure from moving forward. The vote was 53 to 36, but the Democrats needed 60 votes to end debate.
A second vote for extending tax cuts for families earning less than $1 million per year was expected later Saturday morning.
Despite the realization that neither would get the 60 votes to succeed, many Democrats said before the vote they wanted to get on-the-record in support of extending the lower rates to lower earners. They also want to contrast their ideas with Republican proposals to extend all tax cuts, even those for people who are very wealthy.
"I think we want to lay it out there," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said on Friday. "Who's for which approach on this? That's why we're doing it."
"There are no signs that millionaires are suffering in this economy. It's everybody below that," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California. "You have to stand up for what you believe and you have to vote on what you believe."
