Will the House GOP Refuse to Extend the Payroll Tax Cut Again?
Will the House GOP and its Tea Party wing once again hold the middle class hostage to their extreme fiscal demands? In late February, less than two short months away, Congress will be forced to make a decision on whether or not to extend a tax cut for millions of middle class Americans. Democrats continue to push for extending the payroll tax cut for a full year, as proposed in President Obama's American Jobs Act. This measure will boost consumer demand and encourage job creation, helping our nation's economic recovery. In addition to a payroll tax cut extension, Democrats also want to ensure that those who are unemployed through no fault of their own have access to unemployment insurance so that they can continue to put food on the table and make ends meet. Of equal importance to Democrats is the need to ensure that doctors who care for seniors covered by Medicare will be fully reimbursed and able to continue delivering services to their patients.
Below are various resources pertaining to the December 2011 House GOP obstruction of the extension of the payroll tax cut. In addition there are resources outlining House Democrat's efforts to pass the bipartisan Senate compromise, with the goal of negotiating an extension of the payroll tax cut through the end of 2012.
Press Releases
Dec. 21, 2011 - Van Hollen on MSNBC: Payroll tax cut extension is 'a fight between the Republican right and the Republican far right'
Dec. 20, 2011 - Van Hollen floor speech: 'We are witnessing the triumph of Tea Party extremism over the good of the country'
Dec. 19, 2011 - Van Hollen on Bloomberg: 'Speaker Boehner is allowing the tea party wing of his caucus to sabotage a bipartisan agreement' on payroll tax cut extension
Dec. 18, 2011 - Van Hollen Calls on Speaker Boehner to Prevent House Tea Party Republicans from Blocking Payroll Tax Cut
Dec. 08, 2011 - Van Hollen on MSNBC: 'No extraneous provisions tied to a clean tax cut for 160 million Americans'
Dec. 06, 2011 - Van Hollen on MSNBC: '160 million Americans will see an increase in their payroll tax if we don't extend'
Nov. 30,2011 - Van Hollen Statement on the Republican Payroll Tax Proposal
Additional Material
Pelosi, House Democrats Call for Payroll Tax Cut Conference to Get to Work (January 6, 2012)
The Wall Street Journal Editorial: The GOP's Payroll Tax Fiasco (December 21, 2011)
The New York Times Editorial: Putting Paychecks At Risk (December 21, 2011)
House Budget Committee Floor Charts for Debate on the Payroll Tax Cut Extension
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Press Release: Payroll Tax By the Numbers (December 21, 2011)
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Letter to Speaker Boehner (December 21, 2011)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Letter to Speaker Boehner (December 21, 2011)