Sen. Scott Brown (R- Mass.) denounced House Republicans for rejecting a payroll tax cut deal on Tuesday, and accused his colleagues of putting politics before the needs of American families.
"It angers me that House Republicans would rather continue playing politics than find solutions," Brown said in a statement released shortly after the House voted to block the bipartisan bill. "Their actions will hurt American families and be detrimental to our fragile economy. We are Americans first; now is not the time for drawing lines in the sand."
The Senate bill would have prevented the payroll tax cut from expiring on January 1, 2012 by ensuring a two-month extension. Republicans in the House opposed to the bill argued in favor of a year-long extension or no extension at all, claiming that approving a bill for just two months would create uncertainty.
Brown's criticism followed harsh comments he made on Monday, when he called the GOP's refusal to compromise "irresponsible and wrong."
Brown -- who is up for re-election in 2012 -- is preparing for what will likely be a challenging race against Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren.
A recent poll spelled good news for Warren, showing her leading Brown 49 to 42.