Sen. Brown Slams House GOP Vote Against Tax Cut Extension
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — U.S. Sen. Scott Brown criticized fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives for voting against legislation that would have prevented a Social Security payroll tax increase for 160 million workers on Jan. 1.
The House on Tuesday voted to disapprove a Senate bill that would have extended the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance for two months, seeking instead a conference with the Senate to work out differences between the two chambers' bills.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio is demanding negotiations on a bill to renew the cuts through 2012.
Brown called the House GOP's decision to block the short-term bi-partisan deal "ugly partisanship" that would hurt hard-working Americans.
Brown says he appreciates the House GOP's effort to extend the measure for a full year, but said the Senate's two-month extension is a good deal and the refusal to compromise threatens to increase taxes and stop unemployment benefits for those out of work.
"It angers me that House Republicans would rather continue playing politics than find solutions. Their actions will hurt American families and be detrimental to our fragile economy," Sen. Brown said in a statement. "We are Americans first; now is not the time for drawing lines in the sand. Without a resolution, millions of workers will take home smaller paychecks, and families relying on unemployment benefits will lose their lifeline."
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