Speaking Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi slammed the Republican leadership, saying Democrats have already accepted a number of compromises in a measure extending a payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits.
The California Democrat took direct aim at House Speaker John Boehner, saying Republicans would have to meet Democrats halfway. Ms. Pelosi said Democrats will not appoint any conferees to a House-Senate conference on a yearlong payroll-tax-cut extension because the Republican effort to play politics.
“House Republicans voted yesterday to raise taxes on the middle class. House Republicans stand alone, and unless they act responsibly and agree to the bipartisan short-term bill approved by Senate Republicans and Democrats, millions of Americans will see a tax hike,” said Ms. Pelosi in a statement. “The House GOP leadership must listen to the American people and allow a vote on the bipartisan Senate compromise.”
“We are not falling for that stunt again,” the California Democrat added.
Ms. Pelosi said House Democrats had already offered a compromise in the form of allowing a controversial amendment concerning the Keystone XL pipeline to be included in the proposal.
The Senate passed the measure earlier this week, sending it to the House, where Mr. Boehner and top Republicans have expressed concerns with the temporary extension of the payroll tax cuts.
