Statement on Payroll Tax Extension

“Since early September, I have publicly advocated for extending the current payroll tax rate for an additional year and have urged my colleagues in Congress to work with President Obama to do so.  Last week, the House approved legislation which did just that - extending the payroll tax credit for a year, extending and reforming unemployment benefits and preventing reimbursement cuts for physicians who treat Medicare patients – all of which was offset by cutting government spending, not raising taxes in a weakened economy.  The Senate offered a different solution, adopting a two-month extension of the payroll tax credit and promising to address the issue again next year. This is bad public policy. Americans are tired of short-term fixes, which are creating economic uncertainty at a time when millions of Americans are out of work.

The Senate and the House should stay in session until these policy disagreements are resolved. The Senate leadership’s decision to adjourn last week for approximately one month without  reaching such an agreement with the House was irresponsible and not in the best interests of our nation’s citizens. Members of the House have chosen not to adjourn and stand ready to partner with the Senate to complete this important work.”