The GOP plan to extend all the Bush tax cuts failed in the Senate on a 45-54 vote. Senators voting against their parties: Mark Pryor of Arkansas for the Democrats; Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Susan Collins of Maine for the Republicans.

Here’s our explainer of what’s happening and why.

A second vote to extend the Bush tax cuts only on incomes below $250,000 in underway. Stay tuned …

David Kurtz

David Kurtz is Managing Editor and Washington Bureau Chief of Talking Points Memo where he oversees the news operations of TPM and its sister sites.