In response to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who on Thursday urged House Republicans to pass a temporary payroll tax cut extension, Speaker John Boehner’s office says they’re not ready to go there.
“The House and Senate have two different bills, but the same goal,” says Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith. “That is why we believe, as Senator McConnell suggested, the two chambers should work to reconcile the two bills so that we can provide a full year of payroll tax relief - and do it before year’s end.”
There’s room here for House Republicans to follow McConnell’s advice, but not right away. If Reid appoints Democratic senators to negotiate a full-year payroll tax cut, and Boehner responds by passing the Senate’s two-month compromise, he has no assurance that the year-long deal will be reached by December 31. It could easily drag out until February.
So Boehner’s not biting yet.
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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