House Republicans called for making permanent some tax breaks for charitable giving that were conceived as temporary; Democrats reacted predictably.

"At the 11th hour of a scramble by the U.S. Congress to keep the federal government funded and open, Republicans in the House of Representatives on Wednesday called for making a handful of temporary tax breaks for charitable giving permanent. The last-minute move, led by Republican Representative Dave Camp, drew criticism from Democrats. They said his plan would add $11 billion to the national debt because it offers no new sources of tax revenue to offset the drain on the federal budget that making the tax breaks permanent would impose. " -- Kevin Drawbaugh, Reuters.com