Boehner on Tax Deal: No Time for Celebration
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Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker John Boehner announced Thursday evening that House Republicans have agreed to a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance as part of a deal that includes assurances that the Senate will appoint conferees to negotiate a long-term one-year extension in the weeks ahead. But judging from his remarks, even the speaker didn’t seem too pleased with how the political fight ended.
“Sen. Reid and I have reached an agreement on payroll tax relief on behalf of the American people,” Boehner, R-Ohio, announced following a members-only conference call with the House Republican Conference. “This agreement will help our economy.”
Boehner, who did not appear overly enthusiastic about the deal, said the agreement ensures that on Jan. 1, “no American worker will see an increase in their taxes,” and he said tweaks to the Senate-passed two-month extension “will ensure that a new complex reporting burden is not unintentionally imposed on small businesses.”
“I don’t think it’s any time for celebration. Our economy is struggling. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us in the coming year,” he said. “Sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing, and sometimes it’s politically difficult to do the right thing. But you know, when everybody called for a one-year extension of the payroll tax deduction, when everybody wanted a full year of extended unemployment benefits, we were here fighting for the right things. It may not have been politically the smartest thing in the world, but let me tell you what: I think our members waged a good fight.”
The House is expected to approve the agreement by unanimous consent on Friday, but if any members object, the speaker said he would “absolutely” bring the bill to the House floor for a roll call vote next week. The House is scheduled to meet for a pro forma session at 10:00 a.m. Friday.
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