House Republicans drop plans to amend Senate cliff deal

Washington (CNN) - After their second caucus meeting of the day, House Republicans decided not to attempt the process of amending the scaled back fiscal cliff deal, and instead bring the Senate proposal to an up-or-down vote on the House floor.

The vote is expected to take place between 11:15 and 11:45 p.m. ET, according to House Republican leaders.

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Republican leadership had been counting votes on an amendment to the Senate measure that would add $300 billion in spending cuts. They would have need 217 votes to add the amendment.

For the cliff to be avoided, then, the next step would have been for the Senate to consider the version amended by the House.

But the Senate has adjourned until midday Wednesday - after the market opens and 24 hours from the swearing in of the new Congress on Thursday.

House Republicans' concern was that the Senate would not take up the amended bill, and the GOP tactic would backfire politically.

Rep. John Fleming, R-Louisiana, said to try to amend "what really is a bad bill, it probably would just frustrate many people."

"It's one of those things where an idea pops up that sounds good," he said, describing the mood after Republicans' first conference meeting earlier in the day.

"But then you think through and you look at all the ramifications and problems. I think for many of us we look back at the payroll tax thing that happened a year ago and see that when you see a bill pass with so many Republicans in the Senate, it would probably have a similar result," he said. In December 2011, Republicans sought to tie objectives like the Keystone XL oil pipeline to a year-long extension of the payroll tax cut.

A number of Republicans said on Tuesday that they would vote against the Senate measure, but those Republicans voting yea would be joined by many Democrats.

It passed the Senate 89-8 around 2 a.m. ET Tuesday.

- CNN's Gregory Wallace contributed to this report