Obama to House Republicans: Bring the Senate Bill Back for a Vote
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President Obama interrupted a press briefing in the White House on Tuesday to criticize the failure of House Republicans to vote on legislation that would extend the payroll-tax cut for two months.
He called on Speaker John Boehner and his fellow House Republicans to put politics aside and not play brinksmanship.
"Bring up the Senate bill for a vote, and give the American people the assurance they need in this holiday season," Obama said in a statement before reporters. "Put aside issues where there are fundamental disagreements and come together on something we agree on, and let's not play brinksmanship. The American people are weary of it, they're tired of it, they expect better."
Earlier on Tuesday, the Republican-led House blocked the Senate's two-month extension of a payroll-tax cut, jobless aid, and the "doc-fix" patch.
Obama's announcement came just moments before Boehner held a news conference.
"Let's be clear. Right now, the bipartisan compromise that was reached on Saturday is the only viable way to prevent a tax hike on Jan. 1. The only one," Obama told reporters.
The president had just returned from meeting some of the last U.S. troops returning from their final tour of Iraq at Andrews Air Force Base. He drew upon the experience, saying that House Republicans could “learn something" from the troops and their sacrifice for “something bigger than themselves.”
The message may be the most direct communication between the White House and the speaker’s office during the payroll-tax-cut negotiations. White House press secretary Jay Carney said that the president had not personally reached out to the House Republican leadership, and said it wasn't the president’s role to play “marriage counselor” between House and Senate Republicans.
Responding to Obama’s call for leadership, Boehner, at a news conference immediately following the president’s statement, shouted: “I need the president to help out.”
