Democrats United on Payroll Tax Cut to Pressure House Leaders

Congressional Democrats seek to use their unified support of a payroll tax cut for employees to pressure Republican leaders into reaching a deal on an extension before the tax break expires Dec. 31.

Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said yesterday that the party’s lawmakers and President Barack Obama’s administration are “all singing from the same hymnal like never before” in backing an extension of the payroll tax cut to prevent a tax increase for the middle class in 2012.