Published: April 05, 2001  The House of Representatives voted
today to repeal the estate tax, a big item in President Bush's
tax plan, but in the Senate the president's proposal for $1.6
trillion in tax cuts over 10 years appeared to be in jeopardy.
A swing Republican, Senator James M. Jeffords of Vermont,
indicated that he was prepared to vote against the full tax cut,
the president's top legislative priority, and that could mean
there are too few votes in the tightly divided Senate to pass
it.  The estate tax legislation was the last of the main
components of the president's tax legislation to be passed by
the House. Under the bill, the estate tax rate would be
gradually reduced, but the tax would not actually be repealed
until 2011. Last month, the House approved an across-the-board
reduction in income-tax rates, lower taxes for married couples
and an expanded tax credit for families with children.  The
estate tax measure was approved, 274 to 154. The crucial vote
was taken a few minutes earlier when the