The Senate on Saturday morning approved a two-month extension of a payroll tax break and jobless benefits, easily passing a year-end legislative package that also forces President Barack Obama to make a controversial decision on a major oil pipeline in the thick of his reelection campaign.
By an 89-10 vote, senators approved the plan as part of a final round of action that will conclude an acrimonious year of legislating in the divided Congress. Seven Republicans, one independent and two Democrats voted against the plan. The House is expected to take up the proposal in the coming days, where some top Republicans have voiced concern about a short-term extension.
Continue ReadingThe vote came moments after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) conceded that senators did not have an official cost estimate of the plan, an admission that served to underscore the frantic nature of the talks and the much-criticized legislative process employed by this Congress. The Congressional Budget Office later said it would reduce the deficit by $3 billion over the next decade.
Extending the 4.2 percent payroll tax holiday is one of Obama?s top priorities because it would ensure many families don?t pay on average an extra $1,000 a year in taxes next year. The proposal also would avert a scheduled 27 percent pay decrease for physicians serving Medicare patients, extend jobless benefits for millions of Americans and a welfare program. They will be paid for by new fees on the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The two-month extension of the payroll tax holiday would cost the government $20.4 billion in lost revenue; unemployment benefits costs $8.3 billion; and the so-called ?doc fix? costs $4.1 billion. The new Fannie and Freddie fees cut the deficit by $35.7 billion.
The provisions are slated to expire on Feb. 29, ensuring that Congress will fight again over these programs after it returns from its scheduled holiday recess.
?Getting two months is a lot better than zero which is what some people in here wanted,? said Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), gesturing at the Senate chamber.
Not everyone was happy.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who voted against the plan, said he was ?furious and disgusted? at the two-month extension, saying the Social Security trust fund shouldn?t be used to pay for the break and that punting a problem for another two months is emblematic of Washington?s inability to solve tough problems.
?I think we?re robbing Peter to pay Paul, and we don?t have any money to pay Peter back,? said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). ?And that bothers me a lot.?
In a significant concession, Democrats agreed to a provision that would force the administration to make a decision on permitting the Keystone XL oil pipeline within 60 days. He can choose not to permit the project if he determines its not in the national interest.
The administration has said it needs more time to review the project, which has split his labor and environmentalist base and united Republicans and industry groups.
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