A few Republican rookies are starting to blink on the payroll tax showdown.
Rep. Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, called on Speaker Boehner ?to let the House vote on extending the payroll tax holiday? in a carefully worded letter Thursday that made clear some Republicans are ready to compromise. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), a high profile member of the influential Republican freshman class, also issued a statement Thursday pushing for a quick vote on a short term extension.
Continue Reading?These past few days I have met with my constituents in Arkansas?s First District, they are angry and they don?t understand why Congress cannot sit down, hammer out our differences, and have a solution that we all can support. My constituents are good, honest people who deserve a Congress that will put partisan politics aside in favor of the greater good.?
Crawford?s statement was careful not to bash Republican leaders, noting that the House passed a ?responsible? year-long deal in December and arguing that compromise was the only way forward. But it left wiggle room to portray the lawmaker as responsible while his leadership is Washington is taking the heat over the last minute showdown.
Two freshmen bailing on the party message doesn?t add up to a trend, but it?s a sign that even some of the idealistic new members of the Republican class are ready to cut a deal.
?More often than not an ?all or nothing? attitude produces nothing. An ?all or nothing? attitude is not what my constituents need right now. My constituents need a Congress that is willing to put all options on the table, even those that are not yearlong plans, to avoid higher taxes on more than 160 million Americans.
Crawford is the second freshman lawmaker in a tough district who voted for the House GOP measure to send the Senate bill to conference but later indicated he would support a two-month deal as a temporary way to keep the tax holiday from expiring at the end of the year.
?While I would prefer a year-long tax holiday, I refuse to let anyone play games with my constituents who stand to face a significant tax hike if we don?t act. That?s why I will support ANY option to extend the payroll tax cut. If it?s a 2-month extension or a year-long extension, I?ll support it, so long as it?s paid for,? Duffy said in a statement.
?Let?s stop messing around. Middle class, hard-working families in my district don?t care who wins this squabble. They just care if their taxes go up when we?ve all agreed they should not. I don?t care who wrote the plan or the compromise - and neither do the American people - they just want us to get this done,? he said.
Crawford and Duffy join Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, Charlie Bass of New Hampshire and Chris Gibson of New York in saying that they would vote for any compromise that avoided a tax increase on middle class American. Other freshmen, though, are digging in hard.
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