Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today voted yes on the bipartisan agreement to extend the payroll tax relief and unemployment insurance, and maintain Medicare reimbursement rates. The bill will extend the provisions through the end of the year.
“I supported this bill because it protects seniors’ ability to see the doctor of their choice, and sustains critical unemployment insurance for more than 160,000 Washington residents,” Larsen said. “By passing this bill today, we are restoring certainty to Washington families and businesses, and ending Congress’s posturing and political games over the vital benefits for millions of Americans.”
“This is not a perfect bill. This should be the last year for the payroll tax cut, so that the holiday does not cut too deeply into the Social Security Trust Fund. I am disappointed that new federal workers will be required to pay more into their pension benefits as a way to offset some of the cost of this bill. Federal employees have already contributed $60 billion to deficit reduction through the freeze on their pay over the last two years. We need to take a balanced approach instead of punishing civil servants and threatening benefits for the poor and middle class.”
