–Tactical Skirmishing To Continue On Senate Floor Thursday Afternoon
–House GOP Prepares To Push Its Payroll Tax Cut Plan Next Week
–President Obama On Payroll Tax Cut Extension: ‘Get It Done’

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – The Senate’s partisan stalemate on passing an
extension of the payroll tax cut will continue Thursday afternoon with
dueling procedural votes on Democratic and Republican plans that are
both expected to fail.

Under Senate rules, motions to consider the Democratic and
Republican payroll tax cut extension plans must get 60 votes.

Both plans are expected to fall short of that threshold when the
Senate holds its vote at 2:30 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday the Senate will
not leave Washington for the Christmas holidays until it passes
legislation to extend the payroll tax cut.

President Obama, at a Thursday afternoon briefing, continued to
pressure Republicans to agree to a plan to extend the payroll tax cut.

“Get it done,” Obama said, adding he will delay or even postpone
his scheduled trip to Hawaii for the Christmas holidays to secure
passage of the payroll tax cut extension.

Obama warned Republicans not to try to “extract” concessions from
him as a condition to pass the payroll tax cut extension.

House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday that the House Republicans
will push a payroll tax cut extension bill next week that includes
several highly disputed environmental provisions but does not include a
repatriation holiday plan.

Boehner said the House GOP payroll tax cut extension bill will be
“fully paid for” and will include “some of our jobs initiatives.”

He said the bill will include a delay in a new pollution standard
for industrial boilers and the removal of impediments to construction on
the Keystone XL pipeline.

Boehner said the House will vote on the GOP in the next week.
Extending the payroll tax cut for a year would cost about $120 billion.
Extending unemployment benefits and preventing Medicare reimbursement
cuts for doctors would cost an additional $90 billion, so the entire
House GOP plan is likely to cost more than $200 billion.

Congressional leaders have said they hope to adjourn for the year,
Dec. 16 a week from Friday.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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