Chris Van Hollen: “I support extending the current payroll tax cut for 160 million working Americans. I support protecting the lifeline of…”

“I support extending the current payroll tax cut for 160 million working Americans. I support protecting the lifeline of unemployment insurance for those who remain out of work through no fault of their own. And I support fixing the broken Sustainable Growth Rate formula for physicians who participate in Medicare--which is precisely why I oppose this bill. Everyone in this Chamber knows it won't pass the Senate. The President has said he won't sign it. In short, it has exactly zero chance of getting enacted into law. Now, several weeks ago, that scenario sounded like it was actually the preferred outcome for a majority of my friends on the other side of the aisle. The Republican leadership stated that it opposed extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance. If the Republican leadership has changed its mind and is now sincere about protecting the middle class, it's time to dispense with the posturing, throw out the poison pills, stop scapegoating the federal workforce and start seriously negotiating a package that can receive bicameral, bipartisan support.”