Obama Phones Boehner And Reid

The following is a readout from the White House regarding separate conversations President Obama had this afternoon with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.):

“Today, the President made separate calls to Speaker Boehner and Leader Reid.  In his call to Speaker Boehner, the President reiterated the need and his commitment to work with Congress to extend the payroll tax cut for the entire year, and the fact that the short-term bipartisan compromise passed by almost the entire Senate is the only option to ensure that middle class families aren’t hit with a tax hike in 10 days and gives both sides the time needed to work out a full year solution. The President urged the Speaker to take up the bipartisan compromise passed in the Senate with overwhelming Democratic and Republican support that would prevent 160 million working Americans from being hit with a holiday tax hike on January 1st.”

“The President also spoke with Leader Reid and again applauded him for the work he conducted with Minority Leader McConnell to achieve a successful bipartisan compromise that passed overwhelmingly in the Senate on Saturday, and Senator Reid reaffirmed his commitment to secure a bipartisan year long tax cut after the House passes the two month extension. The President urged the Speaker to allow a vote on the one compromise that Democrats and Republicans passed together to give the American people the assurance they need during this holiday season that they won’t see a significant tax hike in just 10 days.”

Reid Implores Boehner To Pass Senate Payroll Extension

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) wrote to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) today, urging him to convince Republicans to approve a Senate bill that would extend the current payroll tax holiday by another two months.

In his letter, Reid called on Boehner “to reconvene the House to act on the Senate’s bipartisan compromise as soon as possible.”

“I am fully confident that we can work out our differences and find common ground on a year-long extension,” Reid said. “But in the meantime, families should not have to worry that they will wake up to a tax increase on January 1, 2012.”

Here’s the full text of the letter:

Dear Speaker Boehner,

Our respective chambers have been seeking for weeks to negotiate a year-long extension of the payroll tax cut for middle-class families, as well as unemployment benefits and Medicare payments for physicians. You and I agree that this should be our goal. But as these weeks have made clear, there remain differences between our parties over how to fund and implement these programs that will take longer then a few days to reconcile.

Recognizing this reality, eighty-nine Republican and Democratic senators came together to agree to a short-term extension of these programs. As you requested when we met last Wednesday, Senator McConnell and I worked together to find this common ground. Once the House of Representatives acts on this immediate extension, we will be able to sit down and complete negotiations on a longer extension. But because we have a responsibility to assure middle-class families that their taxes will not go up while we work out our differences, we must pass this immediate extension first.

As the Senate vote made clear, there is no reason for this to be a partisan issue. I am fully confident that we can work out our differences and find common ground on a year-long extension. But in the meantime, families should not have to worry that they will wake up to a tax increase on January 1, 2012.

To provide middle-class families the certainty they deserve, I urge you to reconvene the House to act on the Senate’s bipartisan compromise as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Hoyer Blasts Tea Party Politics As Payroll Vote Looms

By Tim Young

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) blamed tea party politics Monday for threatening the extension of payroll relief.

Speaking to reporters, Hoyer described the current session of Congress as the  “most unproductive Tea Party dominated partisan session of Congress in which [he] has participated.”

Hoyer quoted four Republican Senators who seem to be in agreement with him, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), Senator Dean Heller (R-NV), and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

In the absence of a year-long deal over payroll relief, the Senate voted with an overwhelming majority Saturday in favor of a two-month extension. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) initially signaled his support for the compromise, but ultimately changed his mind after an apparent rebellion from rank-and-file Republicans. A vote on the Senate version is still expected to take place Monday evening, but the likelihood of it passing is in severe doubt.

Hoyer described the looming vote as the last chance Congress will have to extend payroll relief before the holidays.

“We’re going to determine if there will be a Happy New Year,” Hoyer said.

Scott Brown Takes Swipe At Boehner

Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) issued the following statement in response to House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) newfound opposition to extending the current payroll tax holiday by two months:

“The House Republicans’ plan to scuttle the deal to help middle-class families is irresponsible and wrong. I appreciate their effort to extend these measures for a full year, but a two-month extension is a good deal when it means we avoid jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions of American families. The refusal to compromise now threatens to increase taxes on hard-working Americans and stop unemployment benefits for those out of work. During this time of divided government, both parties need to be reasonable and come to the negotiating table in good faith. We cannot allow rigid partisan ideology and unwillingness to compromise stand in the way of working together for the good of the American people.”

Senate Passes 'Omnibus' Spending Bill

The Senate voted Saturday morning to approve a roughly $1 trillion government funding package. By a vote of 67-32, the upper chamber cleared the giant spending bill, which keeps the federal government operating through the end of next September.

In a statement, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said that the budget “cuts federal spending overall, but still protects our key investments in the American people and job-creating programs ranging from small business to health care to education.”

The measure, which was passed by the House on Friday evening, now heads to President Obama’s desk.

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