December 14, 2011

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement regarding Republican opposition to keeping payroll taxes low for middle-class families.

“The bill passed by House Republicans tonight is a pointless, partisan exercise. The Senate will not pass it and the President has said he will veto it.  Democrats were ready to have a vote tonight to prove that. But despite calling for the Senate to vote on the House bill ‘without delay,’ Leader McConnell told me he needs more time and will not be able to make a decision until tomorrow morning.

“We need to begin real negotiations on how to prevent a $1,000 tax hike on American families. The sooner we get this vote over with, the sooner those negotiations can begin in earnest. I will speak with Sen. McConnell again tomorrow to determine how soon we can hold this vote.

“On January 1st, every American worker will have less money to spend on groceries and gas and rent. We can’t let that happen. And we can’t afford to waste any more time.”

###