Boehner Clock Urges Democrats to Pass GOP Payroll Tax Plan

The office of U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Oh., released a "countdown clock" on Tuesday to urge Senate Democrats to pass the Republican-sponsored bill extending the payroll tax cuts. The House approved the legislation by a 234-to-193 vote last night, despite a veto threat from President Obama and a pledge by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nv., that the bill will be rejected due to certain GOP add-on provisions.The clock is counting down to the December 31 deadline when the payroll tax cuts will expire, but a deal remains elusive.According to the White House, failing to extend the tax relief will cost an average worker $1,000 annually, but Boehner says the legislation is a compromise that both sides should accept."This package does not include everything Republicans would like, nor does it have all that Democrats have called for, but it is a win for the American people and worthy of the president’s signature," he says.The countdown begins: