Voting could happen as soon as Tuesday on a controversial plan by House Republicans to tie a payroll tax cut with government approval of an oil pipeline. The oil pipeline project, which was postponed as the State Department considers environmental consequences, would bring oil from Canada down into Texas. Obama has pledged to reject any offer that links the payroll tax cut with the pipeline project.
The bill would pay for the payroll tax cuts with a series of spending cuts, including freezing pay for federal employees. Democrats oppose the proposed cost offsets, which go deeper than levels agreed to in Congress during the debt ceiling debate.
