Senate Democrats' Compromise Proposal

Republican Support

Expands and Extends the Payroll Tax Cut For the Middle Class

Cantor: "You Aren't A Republican" If You Vote Against Payroll Tax Cut Extension. "During the closed-door meeting Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) urged rank-and-file members to support the extension, saying it was necessary for a party that historically opposes tax increases, a leadership aide said. Cantor told members that 'taxes are a Republican issue and you aren't a Republican if you want to raise taxes on struggling families to fund bigger government,' according to a source in the room." [The Hill, 11/30/11]

Boehner: "If You Guys Think That Not Extending the Payroll Tax Cut Is Politically Advantageous, You've Got to Be Kidding Yourself." According to Roll Call, "House Republican leaders bluntly warned their Members on Wednesday that opposing an extension to a popular payroll tax cut is politically unsustainable. According to a Republican source in the GOP's weekly conference meeting Wednesday, Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) told his conference that 'if you guys think that not extending the payroll tax cut is politically advantageous, you've got to be kidding yourself.'" [Roll Call, 11/30/11]

McConnell: "Republicans Are Going To Put Aside Their Misgivings And Support This Extension." McConnell also said, "There's a lot of sentiment in our conference, clearly a majority sentiment, for continuing the payroll tax relief that we enacted a year ago in these tough times." [CQ, 11/28/11]

PAID FOR WITH...

... Bipartisan Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Reforms Agreed to During the Joint Super Committee Negotiations...

...Bipartisan Proposal to Ensure Wealthiest Americans Don't Receive Unemployment Benefits or Food Stamps...

... Asking Millionaires to Pay Their Fair Share With a Small Increase on the Taxes They Pay on Income Over a Million.

Republican Super Committee Proposal Contained Increase in Freddie/Fannie Loan Fees. [Fox News, 11/21/11]

• Sen. Toomey Called Revenues From Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac "Really Noncontroversial, Innocuous Things" "And when presented with the options -- you know, we put a deal on the table with the least possibly controversial items, things like a very modest savings of some of the least defensible agricultural subsidies that Democrats and Republicans on the committee said they could accomplish, ending some corporate subsidies, asking banks to pay something closer to a market fee for the guarantees they get from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These are really noncontroversial, innocuous things." [Fox News, 11/21/11]

• Sen. Kyl Said Republicans Agreed to Raising Fees on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. "Finally, more in desperation than anything else Republicans said last week, look, if we can't agree on those things why don't we agree on what we essentially agreed on. There are a lot of places where the government has surplus property we can sell, where we can raise fees on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac." [CNN, 11/21/11]

Senate Republicans Paid for Payroll Tax Extension By Means Testing Food Stamps and Unemployment Benefits. Last week, Senate Republicans introduced a proposal to extend the payroll tax cut. The GOP proposal was paid for by ending unemployment and food stamp benefits for Millionaires. Twenty Senate Republicans voted for the bill. [S. 1931]

• Sen. Coburn Said We Should Not "Pamper" The Well Off With "Unnecessary Welfare" "This welfare for the well-off - costing billions of dollars a year - is being paid for with the taxes of the less fortunate, many who are working two jobs just to make ends meet, and IOUs to be paid off by future generations. We should never demonize those who are successful. Nor should we pamper them with unnecessary welfare to create an appearance everyone is benefiting from federal programs." [Press Release, 11/13/11]

Bipartisan Majority Voted For Payroll Tax Extension Paid For By Millionaire Surtax. Last week, a bi-partisan majority, including GOP Senator Susan Collins, voted for an extension of the payroll tax cut that was paid for with a Millionaire surtax. [Vote, 12/1/11]

• Senator Collins Said Multimillionaires and Billionaires "Could Pay More of their Income to Help Us Pay More of the Deficit" "I do believe that multimillionaires and billionaires who are not running businesses could pay more of their income to help us pay more of the deficit," Collins said Wednesday. [Roll Call, 12/1/11]

• Senator Roberts Suggested GOP Could Support Tax Increases On High-Income Earners. According to the New York Times, "Senator Pat Roberts, Republican of Kansas, said his party's plan could involve a small increase in taxes for some high-income people who meet certain criteria." [NY Times, 11/30/11]

• Senator Johanns Sensed "Change In Mood" On Millionaires' Tax. "Another Republican senator has opened the door to tax increases on high earners as a way to pay for a payroll tax cut, showing more movement in the party ranks after resistance all year to tax increases. 'I sense a change in mood,' Senator Mike Johanns, Republican of Nebraska, said Wednesday.' "It's a little more bipartisan. My position has always been, 'Let's not raise taxes,' but on the other hand, I don't want our country to collapses under a mountain of debt. If that means compromise, I am going to do everything to get that done.'" [NY Times, 11/30/11]