Congress will convene today in hopes of approving a stopgap measure renewing payroll tax cuts for middle-class workers and unemployment benefits for millions - despite serious opposition among many rank-and-file House Republicans.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) caved Thursday afternoon after intense pressure and criticism from President Obama and congressional Democrats - but most notably, perhaps, from GOP notables like Karl Rove and the Wall Street Journal, along with Sens. Scott Brown (Mass.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Bob Corker (Tenn.) In a brief statement, Boehner said Republicans had won new provisions that would protect businesses from certain payroll reporting requirements.
He broke the news to fellow GOP members in an eight-minute conference call, in which no open mic session was held so no questions could be asked. Boehner said he didn’t know whether any lawmaker would object, but was prepared to call the House back into session next week to pass the bill.
Today’s House and Senate sessions are very unusual and tense since both chambers have technically recessed. Leaders will try to pass the short term agreement under debate rules that would allow any individual member of Congress to derail the pact, at least for a time.
Rep. Mo Brooks (Ala) said he may do exactly that. “The US Senate’s bill is horrific policy founded on political expedience and holiday schedules,” he said after the conference call. Likewise, Freshman Rep. Mike Kelly (Pa.) added “I’m not so sure I’m not going to” drive to Washington to protest the unanimous consent agreement.
In a statement released by the White House Thursday evening, President Obama said, “this is good news, just in time for the holidays…This is real money that will make a real difference in people’s lives.”
The wheels to a deal were set in motion yesterday when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on the House to pass the 60-day extensio and for the Senate to appoint conferees to negotiate next month. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has pledged that the two sides will be able to quickly iron out their differences.
Should today’s unanimous consent vote pass, the bill will then go to President Obama for signature to become law for two months. This, of course, will set off a heated January showdown over how to offset the cost of continuing the two percent tax cut and long-term jobless benefits averaging $300 a week, as well as preventing doctors from absorbing a 27% cut in Medicare payments for another ten months.
Geoff Holtzman contributed to this report.