GOP Payroll Tax Package - Will It Pass?

The GOP members of the House have unveiled a package which intends to couple an extension of several high-priority items, including the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits, with provisions aimed at rounding up conservative support. Most Democrats think that it doesn't have a chance to pass with the Democratic-controlled Senate. The Republicans think they can pass the legislation on their votes alone, but they are trying to round up some Democrats nonetheless. The House Republican plan is a broad package that includes a one-year extension of the payroll tax cut; an extension of unemployment insurance; and a two-year extension of the “doc fix,” which prevents cuts in reimbursements to doctors who see Medicare patients. All of those are items that leaders of both parties as well as the White House have said that Congress must pass before it adjourns later this month. Where the parties differ is on how to pay for the cost of those items. Some lawmakers of both parties have expressed concern that extending the payroll tax cut would threaten the solvency of Social Security; GOP leaders say their plan would address those concerns by cutting spending elsewhere in the federal budget and directing those savings to the Social Security Trust Fund. They are planning to vote later this week.