U.S. Congress Reconvenes on Monday, December 19th ...

December 18, 2011

Snips ~ President Barack Obama said yesterday he was “very pleased” with the Senate deal. His remarks at the White House after the Senate passed the plan belied months of negotiations on a bigger package that Obama and Democrats wanted and were unable to get: A year-long extension of the payroll-tax cut along with a surtax on millionaires.

House Speaker John Boehner said he and fellow House Republicans oppose Senate legislation to extend through February a payroll tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits and will push to extend the measures through 2012.

Congress should “stop, do our work and extend for one year,” Boehner said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” today. He said a two-month extension creates uncertainty for employers as they budget for 2012. A “reasonable, responsible” compromise could be reached, he said, and suggested a formal conference committee between the House and the Senate to resolve differences between the two chambers.

“We’ve got two weeks to get this done,” he said. The tax cuts expire at the end of this year.

“It’s time to do this the right way,” Boehner said. “It’s not time to kick the can down the road.”

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