Politics

Rep. Lewis: ‘Best decision’ to support unfunded payroll tax cut [VIDEO]

Nicholas Ballasy Senior Video Reporter
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Democratic Georgia Rep. John Lewis told The Daily Caller that voting for an unfunded extension of the payroll tax cut through 2012 at a cost of $93.2 billion was “the best decision to make.”

TheDC asked Lewis why he supported the payroll tax and unemployment extension bill when the payroll tax cut was not funded by any spending cuts.

“Well, we had to make a decision and I thought it was the best decision to make. We’ll come back and we will revisit it,” he told TheDC.

When asked if he was able to read the final version of the legislation before voting for it, Lewis responded, “Yes, I really did.”

House Speaker John Boehner originally supported a payroll tax cut extension for a full year only if it was paid for with spending cuts.

“I believe that offsetting the Social Security tax break for next year, offsetting it with reductions in spending that will be used to transfer to the Social Security Trust Fund, is a responsible way to proceed,” he told TheDC in December.

RELATED: Boehner changes positions on funding payroll tax cut extension [VIDEO]

Boehner, however, backed the bill that extends the payroll tax cut unpaid for, along with doctor’s Medicare reimbursements and unemployment benefits for 73 weeks, which are partially funded by requiring new federal employees to contribute more of their earnings than current government workers toward pensions.

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