After days of stalemate over the payroll tax cut extension and government funding bill, House and Senate leaders met privately to discuss options in a first sign of progress. House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell met for about an hour, an indication that both sides are working directly with one another to resolve the dispute. The news came amid reports that Democrats would offer a proposal to extend the payroll tax cut without increasing taxes on millionaires.
The House passed its own version of a payroll tax plan Tuesday, along Republican party lines. The plan includes a provision to begin work on the Keystone XL pipeline. The White House has said Obama will veto the plan, as it goes against the State Department’s decision to delay a decision on the pipeline until the environmental issues it poses can be addressed.
