payroll tax cut

The Washington stand-off continues, and it continues to turn-off Americans, in a time where morale needs to be on the rise.

Yesterday, the House rejected a plan to extend a Social Security payroll tax cut for two months and Republican members are demanding that the U.S. Senate return to negotiate an extension for the entire year.

The House Tuesday rejected legislation to extend a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for two months, drawing a swift rebuke from President Barack Obama that Republicans were threatening higher taxes on 160 million workers on Jan. 1.

A bipartisan bill out of Washington, D.C. that would temporarily prevent a payroll tax increase is creating massive rifts for politicians on both sides of the aisle.

The Republican-controlled House intends to wait until Tuesday to reject a Senate measure providing a two-month extension of Social Security payroll tax cuts due to expire on Dec. 31.

The Senate has passed a $1 trillion-plus year-end budget bill for President Barack Obama's signature as part of a congressional endgame also featuring action on a two-month extension of a cut in the Social Security payroll tax and jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed.

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.

The Senate has wrapped itself into a partisan tangle over its year-end tax and spending business.

Republicans are girding to push a bill through the House that would continue a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers, but has drawn White House and Democratic objections because it would also force work on a controversial oil pipeline.

House Speaker John Boehner is predicting that the House will approve legislation that renews a payroll tax cut and curtails extra benefits for the long-term unemployed.