In its last major vote before switching to Democratic control, the US Senate has given final congressional approval to a sweeping $1.35 trillion tax cut package that was President George W. Bush's top priority.
The biggest tax break in two decades, the compromise package would give households a refund of up to $600 this year, reduce most income tax rates across-the-board by three percentage points starting on July 1st, 2001, and create a new 10 per cent bracket.
Once the bill lands on Bush's desk, Vermont Senator James Jeffords who opposed the original $1.6 trillion White House tax cut plan, said he will officially leave the Republican party, tipping the balance to Democrats in the Senate.