Friday: R&D tax credit, charter school reform

The House on Friday will finish consideration of a bill to extend the research and development tax credit as well as a measure to expand access to charter school funding.

The House debated the legislation on Thursday to permanently extend the research and development tax credit, which expired at the end of last year along with more than 50 other tax breaks. The measure would cost $155 billion over the next decade with no offset.

{mosads}Democrats have raised objections to the House GOP’s acceptance of an unpaid-for bill to extend a credit championed by the powerful business community while refusing to consider extending unemployment insurance by the same standard. A vote on final passage was postponed until Friday morning.

Also on the agenda is a bipartisan charter school reform bill authored by House Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) and the panel’s top Democrat, Rep. George Miller of California. The House debated the bill for just under an hour late Thursday evening, and will complete consideration of the 12 amendments made in order.

All told, the House is expected to be done for the week by early afternoon.

The Senate is not in session Friday.