House Republican leaders said Monday that they will support extending the federal payroll tax holiday through the end of the year without demanding spending cuts to pay for it, a concession aimed at averting another politically damaging showdown in Washington.
The House leadership could offer a pared-down measure to extend the tax cuts later this week. But the top three GOP leaders backed off previous demands that the tax break’s extension be accompanied by spending reductions to shore up the finances of the Social Security program, which is funded through withholding taxes. ...WaPo
__
Congressional Republicans backed down on Monday from a demand that a payroll tax rollback be paid for with reductions in other programs, clearing the way for an extension of the tax cut for 160 million Americans through 2012.
After months of partisan confrontation that left the tax break hanging in the balance, Republicans suddenly offered to extend the two-percentage-point cut while continuing to haggle over added unemployment benefits and a measure to prevent a drop in fees paid to doctors by Medicare. The payroll tax holiday and jobless benefits expire at month’s end, and doctors would face a 27 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements. ...NYT
The Hill calls it a Republican "retreat," a "major concession," and point out that Boehner, along with other Republican leaders in the House, "are seeking to avoid a rerun of the resounding political defeat they suffered in December on the same issue." Boehner added a stinger to let us know that his party's legendary truculence is still part of the deal.
"...In the face of the Democrats’ stonewalling and obstructionism, we are prepared to act to protect small businesses and our economy from the consequences of Washington Democrats’ political games.” ...The Hill
By now, though, "stonewalling" and "obstructionism" are already owned by Congressional Republicans. Their low poll numbers remain their biggest challenge in November.
