House Republicans moved Tuesday to reject a Senate-passed tax cut extension, hardening a standoff over whether to extend an expiring payroll tax cut and clouding the prospects for a clear resolution to prevent a tax hike on Jan. 1.
The House passed a measure that served the twin purposes of implicitly rejecting the Senate's bipartisan legislation extending an expiring payroll tax cut for two months, while volleying House Republicans' own proposal back to the Senate, where Democrats are in the majority.
229 House members, all Republicans, voted to send the payroll tax cut to conference, the formal (and less commonly used) process to resolve legislative differences with the Senate. Seven Republicans joined 186 Democrats in opposition to this plan.
President Obama, in a surprise appearance at the White House briefing, condemned Republicans for playing politics with the vote, and urged Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Republicans to defuse "brinksmanship" and pass the two-month deal.
"Let's be clear: Right now, the bipartisan compromise that was reached on Saturday is the only viable way to prevent a tax hike on Jan. 1," he said.
The legislative maneuver allowed Republicans to avoid having to specifically vote against the Senate's two-month tax cut, while still voicing their opposition to the deal.
First Read - House rejects payroll tax stopgap, hardening standoff