Time for another congressional payroll-tax fiasco
It’s unclear if the two sides even know what each other is thinking.
As recently as last week, a top Boehner aide warned that Republicans should be prepared for Democrats to push another two-month extension — and Republicans should come up with a plan to combat that. But Senate Democrats flatly deny they’re even thinking about such a plan and said they are solely focused on a yearlong extension of the 2 percent payroll tax cut…
“If we cannot agree on a pay-for — or to the degree that we cannot — we may have to look at other options on the payroll tax,” Baucus said at the time. “That is, maybe it’s a shorter period of time, not a full 10 months through the rest of this year.”
Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner, flatly said the House GOP won’t accept a two-month deal…
A GOP leadership aide said, “Basically, there’s the bare minimum, then there’s 40 feet of crap, then there’s what Senate Democrats have been able to produce.”
Blowback
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Tell me why we’re de-funding a bankrupt program again?
Chip on February 7, 2012 at 3:44 PM
I don’t even have to read about it. I know how this will end.
1. Obama gets everything he wants.
2. Boehner cries at the post-bill signing press conference
3. RomneyAir Mittbots blame Sarah Palin
angryed on February 7, 2012 at 3:46 PM
So maybe if Boehner hadn’t caved to Reid and McConnell to hasten the bankruptcy of Social Security, the payroll tax would have gone up, there’d be $40 less a month in paychecks, and we’d have moved on?
Wethal on February 7, 2012 at 3:47 PM
The only thing dumber than the original policy would be to extend it repeatedly for a few months at a time.
Chuckles3 on February 7, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Idiots!
Wake up GOP. For a measly two month extension, you accepted a permanent tax increase on home buyers. Great work guys!
What a shock that the Dem’s don’t want to push for a full year extension. Why would they if they can get permanent tax increases for each go around.
WisRich on February 7, 2012 at 4:06 PM
What a joke! The Democrats and anyone else paying attention are laughing. Boehner has caved on every issue and done exactly what the Democrats want in every case.
RJL on February 7, 2012 at 4:10 PM
It doesn’t seem like we’re defunding it–not totally anyway. I notice on my 2012 paystub the new SS max is at $110k–it was at $106k last year.
Does it go up like that every year?
Youngs98 on February 7, 2012 at 4:10 PM
$200 billion a year is a crapload of money considering it’s running in the red about 7 years earlier than expected. Any taxes collected will not go to shoring up SS.
Chuck Schick on February 7, 2012 at 4:18 PM
Because this is what the reps will get if they don’t:
“You aren’t going to hike a regressive tax on the working and middle class in the middle of these tough economic times are you Mr Out-of-Touch-One-Percenter?” – the State-run media
forest on February 7, 2012 at 4:39 PM
Oh no! The media will say mean things about us! Time to run screaming for the hills.
“The media will say bad things about us” has been the number 1 excuse for every cave-in since 2010. Why are we bothering to vote Republican, again? I know, I know, when they have 90 Senators and 450 House seats, then they will think about cutting spending. Maybe.
Doomberg on February 7, 2012 at 4:53 PM
Your Romney hate is getting all too predictable. Maybe you should put away the key board for awhile and go play outside. Sunshine will do your bad attitude some good.
jawkneemusic on February 7, 2012 at 5:11 PM
a/o Jan 1, 2012, the payroll tax is going to increase for singles making 200,000 or couples making 250,000 as part of Obamacare. What’s the over/under on the payroll tax never being re-instituted on people making less?
btw, the payroll tax increase is not going to soc sec or medicare, it’s going to obamacare to help subsidize health insurance.
What bothers me is that our jerks in D. C. don’t seem to be aware of this and are just bumbling around with stabs at messaging. They don’t have a clue what’s going on here.
MaggiePoo on February 7, 2012 at 5:17 PM
And, sorry, but a lot of folks here aren’t paying attention either. All you do is fight among yourselves about your favored/unfavored candidate. Obama doesn’t care–he’s just blithely carrying out his powergrab that substitutes your tax dollars for private charitable donations. Latest example being his war against religious freedom via Obamacare, a war that has already destroyed many Catholic charities that provided a large percentage of adoption services.
MaggiePoo on February 7, 2012 at 5:27 PM