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House, Senate Payroll Tax Cut Showdown

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    Sen. Bob Casey weighs in

  • Duration 4:33
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Latest deadlock likely will not help lawmakers popularity take a look congress is ending the year with an approval rating -- -- -- 11%.

That's the lowest it has dipped in the thirty years of -- it's been asking Americans to -- congress' job performance.

For more on this let's bring in senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania he is the chairman of the joint economic committee he helped come up with the two month payroll tax cut compromise.

Obviously you are dissatisfied.

That the house has not taken up that senate measure.

But is there blame or enough on both sides to go around.

Well John I think there's that there's a very simple solution here we have piece of legislation that went through the senate.

Got 89 votes Democrats -- Republicans coming together.

To say very simply in a very pared down bill that we're gonna extend the payroll tax -- for.

160 million Americans for two months.

Also has unemployment insurance for that same time period so we came to an agreement on a very simple bill -- 89 votes for.

If the house passes that bill today or tomorrow this whole.

This whole problem would go away and I think the house.

Would be a lot better off and I think speaker Boehner.

In his carcass.

Would be a lot better off if they came together and said simply the senate has worked out an agreement.

Where you have senate Republicans senate Democrats and house Democrats coming together.

I think the senate Republicans should join us -- get this -- give people some certainty.

For the this holiday season and ever -- have a much better holiday we can still have debates.

In 2012.

About the next phase of this but least let's get this done.

Four of the first sixty days of the new year would give people lot of certainly don't have a good impact on the economy.

Well it does seem like maybe two months is better than nothing but I guess the argument coming out of the house side house Republicans wanted this thing done they -- -- -- payroll tax cut extension for a full year.

Washington seems to be it seems to be very popular in Washington these days to pass a continuing resolution.

To nibble around the edges take to get a week here a month and there.

Do they have a point.

Which I'd agree that that the way that business have been conducted the last year has been frustrating for everyone.

But in this instance that we actually have an exception to the the rule of the last year -- we have an agreement a bipartisan agreement.

That I think house Republicans would be they'd be better off their constituents -- -- -- better off -- they agreed with us what they don't say.

When they talk about having a full year of a payroll tax that I worked night and day I had to two different versions of a compromise to get this done for the year.

But what they don't tell -- is they loaded up that one year agreement that one year payroll tax cut they loaded up that bill a lot of other things that don't.

Relate in any way to cutting the payroll tax what they should do is take our bill which is very simple it did it addresses.

-- payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance directly and also the the to help so that doctors and in our Medicare recipients are protected.

Basically three -- three fundamental elements that are in that bill.

That gives people some certainly by the end of the year so I still think that.

House Republicans have a chance -- a to get this right I think they would do a lot of their membership want them to -- I think constituents do I know in Pennsylvania.

Democrats or Republicans in the state wants to get -- is done at least at least.

-- first sixty days.

Solely to -- let's let's assume that you're right and house Republicans or or the house does go ahead and pass this two month extension.

What happens then are we gonna be fighting over the same issues two months from now or less.

There's no question we're gonna continue to debate this but as you said a moment ago.

Doing nothing as a lot worse than then the sixty days and I -- I just think that when you see the the impact that the payroll tax cut had in the early part of last year was very very strong private sector job growth.

February march and April of 2011.

We need the same kick start.

To move the economy forward this year this is -- a magic wand but it will help enormously when you put a thousand bucks.

In the take home -- in the pockets of the average worker.

That creates more demand in all the business leaders I talked to big businesses small businesses say we need -- -- when you have -- you can you can create jobs.

Let's hope -- logjam can be broken one way or another senator Bob Casey Democrat of Pennsylvania.

Thank you.

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