House Republicans threaten to INCREASE taxes on workers

The Senate in bi-partisan vote of 89-10 passed a bill to extend the payroll tax cut another two months.  Speaker Boehner immediately said the bill was dead on arrival in the House because it extended the tax cut for only for two months.  Chuck Todd at MSNBC says “One big reason why many House Republicans oppose the two-month extension: It allows the White House and congressional Democrats to continue to push for the popular payroll tax cut after the New Year.  Remember, they have been getting hammered on this back home, and look at the most recent NBC/WSJ poll about which party does a better job at protecting the middle class. Politically, for as much heat as the House GOP is taking on this walk away, perhaps they are right: They can’t afford, politically, to have this issue hanging over their head on Groundhog Day.”  http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/19/9556098-first-thoughts-here-we-go-again

So, what are the consequences to working Americans if Republicans block the extension of the payroll tax?  American Progress ran the numbers.

Working Americans will be hit with $120 billion TAX INCREASE in 2012.

122 million American households will be hit with the TAX INCREASE.

The average American household will pay $1,426 MORE IN TAXES IN 2012.

1 million+ new jobs that could have been created thanks to an extension and expansion of the payroll tax holiday WILL NOT be created.

 98 Percentage of businesses will see their payroll taxes doubled.

Source: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/11/ui_payroll_infographic.html

You may want to write the Republicans in the House and ask them to stop playing political games with the take-home pay of American workers.  And, be sure to keep their behavior in mind when you go to the polls next November.  That’s when you can send them a REAL message.