Payroll Tax Cut Extension: Focus Turns To Senate After House Passes Bill

DAVID ESPO And ALAN FRAM, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Officials say Democratic lawmakers are considering whether to jettison their demand for a surtax on millionaires as a way of covering the cost of a Social Security payroll tax cut extension.

These officials stress that no decisions have been made. If party leaders go ahead, it would mark a concession to Republicans in the year-end standoff over the tax cut extension that President Barack Obama requested and leaders in both parties say they want.

The officials declined to be identified by name because they were discussing legislative strategy.

The disclosure came as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other leading Democrats went to the White House to meet with Obama.

The subject of the meeting was not announced.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[l78lancer]

02:56 PM on 12/15/2011

This is put up or shut up time for the dems in the senate to demonstrate if they have any cojones. They talk tough, but they have demonstrated anything but toughness.

[l78lancer]

02:54 PM on 12/15/2011

If the Dems throw out the surtax they may as well kiss the senate good-bye, too.

[MDean]

10:25 AM on 12/15/2011

This bill is exactly the right one to use to force a showdown on tax policies.
Extension of the payroll tax cut should absolutely be directly tied to other tax related actions - like increasing income taxes for all those who earn more than the SS tax income cap; but more importantly taxing all personal income the same, and not giving discounted tax rates for personal income from carried interest, long term capital gains or dividends from financial investments.
We need to fix our tax base. Why not start the discussion with this bill? We've already seen that the Republicans will not support even a very modest tax rate increase on the highest incomes, and are willing to risk expiration of the payroll tax cut to protect the highest income earners. The Senate Republicans blocked discussion (filibuster) of this. Why are we discussing any other alternatives?
The best way to deal with the sociopathic behavior of the Republicans is to let them "win" in a manner that is most distasteful to the voting majority - and in this case that means letting them "win" by letting the payroll tax cut expire.

[fehc]

09:32 AM on 12/15/2011

OVER 63% OF LAND AND WATER ( GULF , ATLANTIC) owned by big oil ( was actually reported by neil cavutto - fox news the day after perry announced 20-20-20- plan) is not being developed which actually is almost a 10% decrease in non - utilized energy opportunities under obama! Why are the companies not producing on this 2/3 of their investment? Why are they not producing 100,000's of jobs,not reducing dependence on Perryy's forign oiil, not reducing price of oil by having production increased and at the same time crippling economies of opec nations( one of Fig Newtons causes)( wouldn't need war to affect oil profits and production and distributtion) why are both sides( gop -dems) not discussing this -way before pipeline of more foreign oil dependence and Oh ,Oh, I think I know. Because until we remove foreign monies, pac monies and other forms of corporate non-traceable donations our representives -represent ( they are people too!) Actual numbers of shovel ready jobs by the way are about 2/3000 over next couple of years for pipeline -unless you are going to account for 18000 possible jobs for clean-ups when electro magnetic pulse bomb is exploded by hijacked drone that obama did not get back from Iran -cause he is weak on terrorisim which we all could have known if Da Donald Duck debate would have occured and Da duck could have asked him for his birth certificate along w/ proof of muslim membership card

[frank1946]

07:46 AM on 12/15/2011

DEMS love to go to the Social Security Funds to spend..................only place where there is
any $$$ in Federal Government ?

What a Joke, DEMS/GOP have made America into a Street Culture !

USA needs ReHabilitation....................Vote Tea Party !

[frank1946]

12:59 AM on 12/15/2011

Harry wants to destroy Social Security, hope somebody stops Him, ASAP !

Vote Tea Party...................Harry is the enemy of Social Security !

DEMS/GOP are the same Party.

[BoycottFox2]

08:44 AM on 12/15/2011

Go climb a Fox News transmission tower....

[MDean]

10:26 AM on 12/15/2011

OK. You win. Let the payroll tax cuts expire.
What is next on your agenda?

[delphinisteve]

10:51 PM on 12/14/2011

At least there is an attempt to make sausage. Obama wanted the "tax holiday" extended. The Republicans are not going to give it (like anything else) except that it would be suicide for them. So they are cornered to play ball. So they come up with a controversial trade off (the pipe line) to throw the ball back in Obama's court. If he doesn't approve the pipe line, they will point, and say "job kil-ler". So now what. Obama needs to double down, and throw on his infrastructure jobs bill. That will put the ball back in their court.

[MDean]

10:31 AM on 12/15/2011

No. At this point the Democrats need to let the Republicans "win" by taking no further action to extend the payroll tax cuts unless those cuts are offset by increased taxes elsewhere. No spending cut games or policy riders. Republicans have already filibustered tax increases on million dollar incomes in the Senate, so, let's just say "You win" to the Republicans and let the payroll tax cuts expire.
Stop trying to compromise with the sociopathic Republicans.

[delphinisteve]

08:04 PM on 12/15/2011

That's kinda the idea, They (the Republicans) Are trying to make him turn it down, so they can point the finger at him. He just needs to throw it back at them, to say they turned it down (again). That's a lot of money that wont get pumped back into the economy if they let the payroll tax expire. The " sociopathi­c Republicans" have to do everything they can to keep the economy down, if they want to have a chance to beat Obama in 2012. Which is what its really all about.The whole "Our number one goal..."

[jstolteddybear]

08:55 PM on 12/14/2011

Harry you are the only person well I take that back you and Pelosi can whine and not spill a tear. Harry I have been to searchlight. I can't even understand in that town how you got elected. The sun doesn't bake the brains of the miners and the desert dwellers that bad? Maybe it is Acorn that does the voting for you out there. Harry how many bills are you going to demonize. Or , Are you going to put this up on the shelf like you did all the BILLS you said the Republicans passed with your dems help in the house yet your to afraid to bring to the floor. Bend over Harry Obama has more work for you to do...lolol

[treadway123]

08:55 PM on 12/14/2011

We can take up the pipeline any time! I say, the Senate stands firm on the 1% paying for the Payroll tax cut! If they were producing jobs as trickle down to the economy-----I would say not to tax them! They are doing NOTHING for the economy, even though WE bailed them out to keep them up an running to produce jobs/help the economy an they have failed to pay us back. So now it is pay back time for the 1% of America to the American people who saved their skins/jobs for them!

[rodneyvgt]

08:31 PM on 12/14/2011

when is this DA going to do anything? how about a budget?come on harry lets vote on it and move on

[mstevens091241]

08:23 PM on 12/14/2011

The republican in the house pass the payroll tax bill .The demoncat senate with Harry Reid dont want to pass it now, they want something else added to it befor they will pass it.

[burnking1]

09:21 AM on 12/15/2011

thats the true liberal way. they want ... just want. they tell you how "adult" they are, but only children act this way, and say if he gets that i want this, and i want more than they got. its like watching a room full of children. they even speak like children.

[rwaller]

08:09 PM on 12/14/2011

It happens every time the spineless attempt to stand erect and defend their principles. If Reagan was alive today he would be considered to be a conservative democrat. He would never be allowed in the republican discussion. That is how far right the country has moved in the past 30 years.

It has been a masterfull job as the republicans have reinvented them selves at least 5 times in those 30 years. Each time further to the right than the previous version. They began as the Silent Majority and then in succession became the Moral Majority, the Christian Coalition, Contract for America and now the Tea Party.

The democrat response has consistently been to cave just a little and sometimes alot to each incarnation. The aggrate is that each one moves us further right to the point that the new center is equal to the Silent Majorities radical elements.

[rhdsma]

07:44 PM on 12/14/2011

We need to get back to simple majority rule. No more fake threat to filibuster. Got to do the real thing. Unlike corporations acting as people.

[davandsher]

07:39 PM on 12/14/2011

Did you notice how many comments that were removed? Makes you wonder,,,,,,,,

[davandsher]

07:36 PM on 12/14/2011

The News Media is calling the Congerss a "do nothing Congress"but I see it as a do nothing Senate. The Congress sends a Bill to the Senate to be voted on and here's Harry Reed the stumbling block. Then here.s Øbama ready to veto the Bill. Everyone, please take a closer look at what's happening in Washington. Come on 2012

[GrandmaG]

09:04 AM on 12/15/2011

The senate is part of the congress.

[burnking1]

09:17 AM on 12/15/2011

huh?