Related Content: Senate

In Case You Were Wondering: We Have Been Here Before

Gwen's Take

“Politics is politics” House Speaker John Boehner opined Thursday, as he stepped before the cameras to explain why he would not back down in the payroll tax fight House Republicans have been waging with the Senate.

Seldom have truer words been spoken. And it was politics at work when -- even as Boehner was speaking -- his counterpart on the other side of the Capitol, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, was busy bailing water out of the boat.

Obama Gets a Lift From Tax Battle With Republicans

On The Radar

After a long stretch of high unemployment, legislative turmoil and, in turn, slipping public approval, President Obama seemed to regain his political footing this week with the help of House Republicans, whose handling of a standoff over payroll taxes had even leading conservatives accusing them of bungling the politically charged issue.
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Obama, Senate Democrats Rally for Benefits Extension

On The Radar

President Obama and Senate Democrats appealed to House Republicans on Wednesday to return to Washington and approve a two-month extension of benefits for American workers before they expire Dec. 31. The House GOP remains opposed to a short-term patch despite mounting opposition to the strategy, even from within the party.
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Obama Scolds House GOP Over Payroll Tax Stalemate

On The Radar

President Obama turned up the heat on House Republicans Tuesday afternoon, urging them to rethink their opposition to a Senate-approved bill that would extend the payroll tax holiday for at least two more months next year. Shortly after House conservatives voted Tuesday to rebuke the Senate and risk raising the payroll tax in January, the president grabbed his spokesman’s podium to deliver his own message to lawmakers.
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House GOP Strategy on Senate Payroll Package Still Evolving

On The Radar

If House Republicans have proven anything this year, it’s they are absolutely sure of what they’re against. What they have rarely been sure of, and what eludes them now, is what they are for. What also eludes them at present is a strategy to get what they want once they decide on what they want. This emerged as the key question for House Republicans as they pondered strategy on Monday.

Obama Professes Satisfaction With Payroll Tax Deal

On The Radar

President Obama triangulated, truncated and equivocated on his way to a pale compromise with lawmakers over the payroll tax. On Saturday, with Senate approval behind him and House action a question mark next week, he professed satisfaction with a result that will benefit 160 million Americans -- for eight weeks in 2012. "I'm glad that both parties in Congress came together," the president declared. "And I want to thank them for ensuring that as we head into the holidays, folks at home don't have to worry about their taxes going up."

Congressional Committees, RIP: 1789-2011

On The Radar

Committees don’t count in the House and Senate anymore. Almost all important pieces of legislation passed by the 112th Congress emerged not from the traditional process of committee members debating and marking up bills, but from backroom negotiations among party leaders. The latest examples are the compromises on extending the payroll-tax cut and unemployment benefits hashed out among congressional leaders this week.

Boehner: House Opposes Senate Payroll Tax Bill

On The Radar

The Senate’s two-month payroll tax extension is dead on arrival in the House. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, made that perfectly clear Sunday morning as he said that Congress will have to negotiate a deal closer to the House-passed one-year extension before members leave for the holidays. “Well, it’s pretty clear that I and our members oppose the Senate bill – it’s only for two months,” Boehner said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “If you talk to employers, they talk about the uncertainty. How can you do tax policy for two months?”

House Balks at Payroll Tax Deal

On The Radar

House Speaker John Boehner flatly ruled out approval of a Senate agreement to temporarily extend the payroll tax cut through February, leaving uncertain both the tax cut and other year-end business as Congress struggled to finish its work for 2011. Mr. Boehner said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that a two-month extension was a sign of congressional dysfunction. "How can you do tax policy for two months?" Mr. Boehner said. "We really do believe it's time for the Senate to work with the House to complete our business for the year.

Fight Shapes Up for Senate GOP Leadership Slot

On The Radar

Sen. Roy Blunt (R., Mo.) just announced he’s running for a Senate Republican leadership post, taking on Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) in what many lawmakers see as a contest between a traditionalist elder statesman and an insurgent newcomer. At the same time, GOP leaders have moved up the election from January to next Tuesday, so the race will be quick and high-intensity. The leadership vacancy was triggered when Sen.