News from The Hill:
Payroll tax deal could come as soon as tonight
By Bernie Becker
Negotiators could close a deal to extend the payroll tax cut, emergency unemployment benefits and the Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors as soon as tonight, a source with knowledge of discussions said Tuesday.
The source said that lawmakers in both the House and Senate were showing “real signs of progress” on a package that would extend the payroll tax cut without paying for it, a concession House GOP leaders signaled they could back on Monday.
Extending emergency unemployment insurance and the Medicare “doc fix,” which combined cost roughly $50 billion to $60 billion, would be offset elsewhere in the budget.
Another 10 months of the payroll tax cut would cost roughly $100 billion, and all three items are set to expire at the end of the month, unless Congress reaches a deal.
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