Republicans Lead U.S. House Passage of Payroll Tax Cut Extension; Requires Construction of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a GOP Bill tonight extending the Payroll Tax Cut through 2012 on a 234-193 vote. The bill also requires construction of the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline from Canada to Texas – something President Obama says he will veto.

MSNBC: Defiant Republicans pushed legislation through the House Tuesday night that would keep alive Social Security payroll tax cuts for some 160 million Americans at President Barack Obama’s request — but also would require construction of a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline that has sparked a White House veto threat.

Passage, on a largely party-line vote of 234-193, sent the measure toward its certain demise in the Democratic-controlled Senate, triggering the final partisan showdown of a remarkably quarrelsome year of divided government.

The legislation “extends the payroll tax relief, extends and reforms unemployment insurance and protects Social Security — without job-killing tax hikes,” Republican House Speaker John Boehner declared after the measure had cleared.

Referring to the controversy over the Keystone XL pipeline, he added, “Our bill includes sensible, bipartisan measures to help the private sector create jobs.” . . . Read More