Payroll Tax Cut: President Obama Fires New Shot At GOP

WASHINGTON -- The White House has launched an online campaign that enlists regular Americans to pressure House Republicans into passing an extension of the 2 percent payroll tax cut before the cut expires on New Year's Day.

Democratic campaign organizations have started similar efforts, but an online campaign by the White House -- with its millions-strong list of online supporters -- is likely to yield the most potent results.

Since an extension of the tax break that passed the Senate last week would only last for two months -- in the hopes of giving time to negotiate a longer deal -- some Republicans have belittled the cut as providing very little money for middle class families, perhaps only $160.

But the White House argued in a Thursday statement: "If Congress fails to extend the payroll tax cut, the typical family making $50,000 a year will have about $40 less to spend or save with each paycheck."

And to lean on the House GOP to get them to vote on the Senate bill -- which passed Saturday, 89 to 10 -- the White House is asking people to go online and tell members of Congress what 40 bucks means to them coming out of the holiday season.

"Tell us what $40 per paycheck would mean for you and your family. What would you have to give up? We'll highlight your stories publicly so that they're part of the debate here in Washington," the site reads.

President Barack Obama plans to highlight some of those stories in an event Thursday afternoon, when he is expected to again appeal to the House leaders on the issue. He tweeted about the campaign Wednesday night.

The House rejected the Senate bill earlier this week in a complicated procedural maneuver that called for appointing members to negotiate a new, year-long deal with the Senate in a conference committee. But the House leaders could take it up again as a more straightforward yes-or-no vote that even many Republicans believe would pass.

Michael McAuliff covers politics and Congress for The Huffington Post. Talk to him on Facebook.

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Comments

[grenouille1955]

12:26 PM on 12/25/2011

You fooled me once Obama you wont fool me again

[grenouille1955]

12:25 PM on 12/25/2011

Obama is nothing more than an activist

[kinogod]

05:26 PM on 12/24/2011

Brilliant. This is the creativity that we have so sorely missed from the residents push back. Well, really, lack of push back. More please.

[MrOnePercent2012]

11:49 AM on 12/24/2011

I thought we needed more tax revenues coming in not less.
I thought we had a 15 trillion dollar national debt.
Did I miss something?

[MAyresify]

10:42 AM on 12/24/2011

This is a tactic to secure the middle class vote. I voted for Obama, and have supported him, but this is clearly a political game. Can't say I blame him, given the way House Repubs have done the same, but this just reinforces the fact that most of these guys are just looking for votes. Are people really buying this save $40 stuff? I am all for easing the burden on hard working middle class citizens, but if people are hanging their hats on this, then I don't know what to say.

[MrOnePercent2012]

11:50 AM on 12/24/2011

Obama has been playing a political game for nearly three years.
And yes, I too was foolish and voted for this man.

[antidemomarxist]

09:51 AM on 12/24/2011

Hey cavegal...did you bother to think about the level of entitlement spending 'given' to the "working class"? Did you bother to undrstand that during that timeframe government passed lib policies to reward laziness, poor poor deciosns, lack of personal responsibility. NO

No incentive to work, be productive when uncle sam pays you to leech

[antidemomarxist]

09:42 AM on 12/24/2011

Will be fun to watch the entitlement generation in 10 years..when they see their tax burden is at 75%. By then it will be too late. Entitlement program are impossible to stop.. Ask Europe and watch OWS..

[danoosh]

12:15 AM on 12/24/2011

Obama capitulated even before the [tax cut] bill started to get serious consideration. Giving up, as Obama did, on the surtax on millionaires, formally agreeing to make a firm decision regarding the Keystone pipeline including a date certain, and agreeing on a defeatist compromise to do the bill for two years, not for at lease year as he initially proposed, keeps President Obama as America's Capitulator in Chief (C.I.C.)
Continuing on this path is quite likely to cause the election of a new occupant for the White House in 2012.

[NILDATX]

05:48 PM on 12/23/2011

The entire millionaires and those with high pay and benefits in the Congress don’t care about the solvency of the Social Security Funds Trust, because they will never need it. Mingling the funds with the genera l funds is convenience for their re-elections. It is very dangerous for the solvency of the Social Security Trust the mingling of money in general funds. A national emergency could swallow the money of Social Security. The military is always looking for a war. The investors want their stocks investment skyrocket.
THE REALITY IS THAT SOCIAL SECURITY SOLVENCY IS AT RISK. Time goes fast and soon PARENTS will reach 65 and there will be NO BREAD. The children will have to provide for the parents; or let them starve. Obama earns $400,000 salary plus living expenses and luxurious vacations on private islands. OBAMA’S Net Worth is 10.500,000. He will not need social security. The people need to see the Social Security Trust Fund Balance Sheet and General Ledger recording before and after of the Payroll Holiday Tax! SENIORS VOTE against those who are attacking Social Security!

[peteschwarze]

05:12 PM on 12/23/2011

food for thought....if 50% of the population doesn't pay any federal income tax (presumably the poorest 50% with the exception of super rich who know how to beat the system), how is any politicain going to successfully bribe the electorate with the promise of lower income taxes? when are our politicains going to learn the true effectiveness of a tax?

[peteschwarze]

04:59 PM on 12/23/2011

what amazes me is that most of the people who would be hurt with losing 40 bucks ,ake less than 50k. so this tax break isnt 40...it's less. now i hated bush but if his $1200 rebate was a joke...why is 160 so meanigful?

[MasterSgt]

04:29 PM on 12/23/2011

The Republicans need to hire a public relations firm, they sure don't know how to get the message out. Obama can stick it to the whole country, and they say thank you!

[shybashfultbear]

03:39 PM on 12/23/2011

This tax deal is not about cutting your taxes. Most people do not even know thay have been receiving it. It is about slight of haqnd to get other provisions (such as a mortgage tax of $15.00 a month) into law without attention. This stuff happens every time there are "last minute" approvals of bills no one has read.... Wake up Amereica

[MasterSgt]

04:16 PM on 12/23/2011

America will never "wake up", they are too stupid to know what's going on!

[ALECTRO]

04:42 PM on 12/23/2011

What Mortgage tax are you referring to? Never heard of it and cannot find any reference to it anywhere on the Internet. I have a Mortgage that is 10 years old and I have never been assessed a Mortgage tax. It sounds like more repetition of the Beck/FOX/Rush false propaganda machine...again.

Now don't you feel really stupid posting this lie?

[peteschwarze]

04:54 PM on 12/23/2011

if it's a new tax you wouldn't see it till the new year. and it's for new mortgages.

[shybashfultbear]

08:13 PM on 12/23/2011

Read the original bill. It is for new mortgages and the "game" is that it will pay for the tax cut. The clunker is that the money goes into the general fund, not Social Security trust fund, and there are no sunset provisions so it will be a permanent new tax. I haqve not heard it on Fox. If the have reported it, they are better informed than you.

[Jamie Anderson]

03:16 PM on 12/23/2011

His tax "cut" actually INCREASED taxes for myself and every other teacher in Texas. This is because we don't pay social security taxes and have a separate retirement system. His insurance "reform" caused our health insurance to increase, even though I opted for less coverage. I'm a single parent, struggling to make ends meet and my monthly check decreased by over $300 due to Obama's efforts to save the middle class and poor. I didn't vote for him, and won't vote for him. In my opinion he's nothing but an educated idiot.

[guitarslinger68]

01:48 PM on 12/23/2011

GO BIG O!!

[MrOnePercent2012]

11:52 AM on 12/24/2011

Oh yes, he is so great. LOL