Obama Urges Republicans on Payroll Tax Cut and Unemployment Extensions

Washington (Feb 14) – If the long-term unemployed are to receive another unemployment extension, the Republican Party must act quickly as, the deadline approaches cutting-off millions of American families from a much needed lifeline.

President Obama attempted to increase pressure today on congressional Republicans urging them to act quickly to provide relief for the nations unemployed along with, extending the Payroll Tax Cut with hopes to keep what appears to be a surge in the economy, rolling.

The President is hoping to enlist the millions of Americans that support both the Payroll Tax Cut and Unemployment Extension to return to the internet to let congress know what you, not the Republican Party wants.

In a video released this morning by the White House Obama sent the following message, “To everyone who went online last December and told us what it would be like to lose $40 in every paycheck, you should know that you made all the difference. Your voices changed the debate and reminded Washington what was at stake,” adding “Well, once again, I need you. We all need you to speak out because if Congress fails to act soon, then taxes on the middle class will go up. So use the #40 dollars hash-tag on Twitter or head to whitehouse.gov, and tell everyone what $40 means to you.”

Yesterday, the Republicans offered up an extension to the Payroll Tax Cut however, refused to negotiate an extension in unemployment benefits unless they were “paid for” utilizing offsets in other vital areas that millions of low-income and unemployed Americans considered necessary to keep food on their tables, and provide medical care for their children.

Democrats have stated they are reluctant to address the Payroll Tax Cut without consideration to the unemployment extension.

Republicans on the other hand, have decided to use the Payroll Tax Cut issue during this election year as a cornerstone to their new commitment to lowering taxes on the nearly 160 million working Americans that have seen for the most part, their wages and benefits drastically cut over the past decade.

In consideration of the current bill extending the Payroll Tax Cut, House Republicans expect the bill to move quickly to the Senate where, Senate Democrats are expected to send it back to the House with the unemployment benefit extension included.

Republicans have balked on their stance that any benefits albeit, tax-cuts, or unemployment extensions be offset as, the detached Payroll Tax Bill does not carry the provisions mandating any assistance to the nations lower and middle class be “paid for” hoping, to avert attention from the facts that they have protected the wealthy for over a decade neglecting the rest of the nation.

The Republicans are also sticking to their guns when it comes to such issues as, dropping unemployment benefits to those that have not earned a high school diploma or GED along with, burdening state taxpayers with paying for drug screening programs for those collecting unemployment benefits. To date, the Republican Party refuses to address any bill, which would mandate drug testing for congressional members.

Posted by worldnews on February 14, 2012. Filed under Breaking News,economic recovery,Headline News,Politics,Right Wing,RNC,RNC - Issues,RNC - On The Trail. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry