Boehner sticks to his guns as Senate Republican leader McConnell urges swift action

UPDATED 11:38 a.m. ET

Amid growing pressure to agree to a bipartisan Senate plan to extend the payroll tax cuts for just two months, House Speaker John Boehner Thursday doubled down on his strategy of calling for a re-opening of negotiations over how long a popular tax cut should be extended.

"Everybody has already agreed that the best policy is a one-year extension," Boehner told reporters on Capitol Hill, urging Democrats to name representatives to a panel of lawmakers to work out differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation.

But the two sides cannot agree on how best to pay for the one-year extension, so the two sides in the Senate agreed to extend it for two months to give lawmakers more time to hash out a deal.

If the pressure of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and former Bush adviser Karl Rove was not enough to force Boehner's hand to the short-term deal , Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday called for Boehner to pass the two-month extension while also calling on Democrats to name their negotiators.

"These goals are not mutually exclusive. We can and should do both," said McConnell, who had largely remained silent on Boehner's spat with Senate Republicans plus President Obama and the Democrats.

The call from McConnell could change the dynamic for Boehner, who reportedly first wanted to back the Senate short-term compromise but changed course after conservative members of his party revolted on Saturday and said they could not back the Senate bill.

House Republicans have painted themselves into a corner on the extension of the payroll tax cut passed last year to help spur the economy by putting a little extra cash into the pockets of millions of Americans.

Rove, a former adviser to President George W. Bush, said House Republicans "have lost the optics on it," and "the question now is how do the Republicans get out of it."

Michigan Republican Rep. Dave Camp, who heads the committee responsible for tax policy, floated the idea that House Republicans could support a three-month extension.

The payroll tax affects about 160 million Americans and it was cut a year ago in an effort to stimulate the economy with a little extra cash in people's pockets. Many conservative Republicans are skeptical of the macroeconomic benefits of the payroll tax cut.

Mark Zandi, an influential economist who served as an adviser to the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain, has said the economy could fall back into recession if the payroll tax cut is not extended.

[hhandyman]

actually the trust fund is supposed to be totally separate accounts from general funds what was pulled is the issuance of bonds to cover the money taken from the trust fund and transfer-ed to the general fund leaving the IOU in the trust fund and us broke starting with the Nam war monies taken as a LOAN from the trust fund to be repaid to it.. in the Nixon era. Republicans are trying to say that is not the case but check your history books and congressional record of that era and read truth.

[92F150]

I think the strategy that Rove is missing has to do with keeping support of GOP constituency as opposed to winning over independents. The bigger threat to GOP seat holders will be from the Tea Party who challenge that seated reps go along with the DEMs and are not conservative enough. Sure, the independents and some GOP will resent them but in strong GOP districts, they need to hold on to the constituency threat from the Tea Party. Otherwise, it will be a solid blue map because the GOP will be split.

[cheeksforus]

I think all of these creeps should go, I'm sick of them stealing our money.

[thetruthwillout]

I wish the Tea Party would shut up and go away. They have done nothing constructive; all they've been is obstructive. They are making the Richpublicans look worse than they truly are. But this is good for the Dems because the richpublicans are going to end up shooting themselves in the foot by helping Obama get re-elected. They have proved that they do not compromise, unless the richest of the rich are getting their palms greased. Why is that? Because so many of them fall into the richest of the rich category. It's all about protecting their own interests. Everyone else can go to Haides!

[smittyc]

Well it's over till next year when they return from holiday break Jan 3. No deal made till they get back. Oh well these things happen. What can you do?

[pokey5735]

McConnell is part of the problem. He bows to Dem pressure every time.
Boehner should stick to his guns. Why should this can be kicked down the road? Deal with it once and for all.
And who cares what Rove has to say.

[occupy_cbs]

jfb100: "The clear message from the Republicans is that they are rabid for 'tax cuts' only if they are 'tax cuts' for billionaires. *Any* help for the middle class is immediately propagandized as socialism."

"The Republican party has eliminated all reason and civility from their platform and replaced it with fear, cruelty and propaganda."




On this terrible course as they have set sail, I have absolutely no respect or want to be civil at all, to this neoliberal republican party worshiping at the feet of corporate America and the top 1%, at the expense of the continuously evaporating middle class!

[Mortar1SG29]

You poor thing. Never can you post ONE real stat or fact.

[RunsWithWolves]

GOP mission- To Protect and Defend the Wealthy

[Mortar1SG29]

Democrat mission- To Protect and Defend the Wealthy

[DiMaggio_8]

Once Upon a Time the GOP meant something.

Now only the truly out of touch with reality, nursing home shufflers are voting for the Republican Party and the Tea Bag Movement. Why because they are senile and can't get correct information just misleading hate filled TV ads by Super PACs and demigods Presidential candidates. Anyone in these homes with a brain is waking up the the facts that this GOP Party is a mental case with nursing home paralysis and stench.

[rhythman]

So, we can't afford a 2-month extension on temporary payroll tax cuts, but can afford a permanent 2 percent income tax reduction for the wealthiest? Give me a break.