U.S. House Expected to Vote Today on GOP Bill Extending the Payroll Tax – 12/13/11

The House of Representatives is expected to vote today on a bill that would extend the Payroll Tax Cut for 2012:

WASHINGTON POST: In another test of House Speaker John A. Boehner’s leadership of his restive Republican majority, the House is expected to vote Tuesday on a GOP plan to extend a one-year reduction in the payroll taxes paid by 160 million workers.

Republicans have been divided over whether to extend the tax cut, as President Obama has urged, or allow the levy to revert to 6.2 percent in January from 4.2 percent.

That division was on display at Saturday’s Republican presidential debate, where three of the six candidates — including front-runners Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney — urged Congress to extend the tax break, while three others argued that it wouldn’t spur job growth.

But by linking the tax cut with other Republican priorities — including speeding up construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil sands pipeline — and by paying for the package with other spending cuts, GOP leaders believe they’ve come up with a measure that can draw overwhelming Republican support.

House approval would set up a clash later this week with the Senate, where Democratic leaders have rejected key pieces of the House bill. . . . Read More