House Republicans Prepping ‘Backup Plan’ on Payroll-Tax Credit
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Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker John Boehner, joined by his two top deputies, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Whip Kevin McCarthy, announced Monday that Republicans are preparing a contingency plan in case negotiators attempting to break a stalemate on the payroll-tax credit extension fail to reach a deal.
The heart of the House GOP’s backup plan would extend the payroll-tax credit through the end of the year while negotiators work out a compromise on the “Doc Fix” and unemployment insurance, in addition to offsets to pay for it all.
After four public meetings, the 20-member conference committee tasked with reaching a compromise has failed to come to terms on a year-long extension of the payroll-tax credit, unemployment insurance and the”Doc Fix” for Medicare physicians. A fifth public meeting has yet to be scheduled.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has suggested that Senate Democrats will move on their own backup plan if a deal is not reached early this week.
Congressional leaders had hoped the conferees would reach a deal by Friday. That would afford the House and Senate adequate time to pass the legislation and send it to the president before the current stop-gap extension runs out Feb. 29.
The Republican leaders say if a deal is not reached, the House could schedule consideration of this measure “later this week,” once they are able to take the pulse of their rank-and-file members.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have resisted the suggestion that Congress enact another short-term extension if the conference committee fails. The House passed its own year-long extension to the economic initiatives Dec. 13, but the Senate refused to consider the House-passed bill, instead opting for a two-month extension to which the House eventually agreed.
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