Americas

Americas

Obama satisfied with Senate’s approval of budget bill, payroll tax cut but expects more

17 December 2011 21:12 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday said he was satisfied that the Senate approved the 1 trillion dollars spending bill and the extension of payroll tax cut, APA reports.

Obama also said in a brief statement at the White House that he expected Congress to extend payroll tax cut next year, and it would be "inexcusable" for Congress not to extend a payroll tax cut for the rest of 2012 when lawmakers return from their holiday break.

The Senate voted earlier and approved a two-month extension of payroll tax cut and agreed to continue jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, which set the stage for another fight in February.

To extend payroll tax cut for the middle class is a major piece of President Obama’s job act announced in early September. Democrats want to put money into the middle class families and collect more revenue from the rich. However, Republicans opposed to increase tax on the rich and bundled the oil pipeline project with the payroll tax cut plan.