WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The fate of legislation in the U.S. Congress to extend a payroll tax cut for two months was uncertain on Saturday as the measure appeared to face strong opposition in the House of Representatives.

House leaders announced they have scheduled votes on the Senate-passed bill for Monday night. But as has been the case throughout 2011, Congress was now girding for yet another fight over major legislation – even as lawmakers were clamoring to quit for the year and start a long winter break.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate on Saturday approved a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut and a $1 trillion bill to fund the government, resolving the latest in a year-long series of tense political stand-offs but setting up fresh battles for 2012.

Democrats and Republicans were unable to agree on how to pay for a full-year extension of the tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits, as President Barack Obama requested. So senators settled, by a vote of 89-10, for a short-term measure that sets up a debate early next year – just as presidential and congressional election campaigns kick into high gear.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Deeply divided U.S. lawmakers on Friday eked out an agreement to extend payroll tax cuts for just two months, and only after Democrats bowed to Republican demands on a controversial oil pipeline.

The deal, which still needs approval of the full Senate and House of Representatives, fell far short of President Barack Obama’s push for a one-year extension of the tax relief and long-term unemployed benefits to boost the country’s fragile economic recovery.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers intensified efforts on Friday to extend payroll tax relief for Americans, and it appeared likely that language to speed approval of a controversial oil pipeline might be part of a deal.

With Senate leaders huddling in offices near the Senate chamber in search of a payroll tax cut deal, the House of Representatives separately approved a nearly $1 trillion funding bill to avert a government shutdown this weekend and keep federal agencies operating through to September 2012.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers intensified efforts on Friday to extend payroll tax relief for Americans, and it appeared likely that language to speed approval of a controversial oil pipeline might be part of a deal.

With Senate leaders huddling in offices near the Senate chamber in search of a payroll tax cut deal, the House of Representatives separately approved a nearly $1 trillion funding bill to avert a government shutdown this weekend and keep federal agencies operating through to September 2012.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers on Thursday were close to a deal on a massive spending bill to keep the government running through the fiscal year ending on September 30 and avert a shutdown when current funds run out at midnight on Friday.

Democratic aides in Congress told Reuters the potential deal was near but they did not provide details. If a compromise is reached, the full Senate and House of Representatives would have to vote on the measure before it could be signed into law by President Barack Obama, who earlier in the day urged prompt action.

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. Congress, facing
end-of-year deadline pressures and an unhappy electorate,
rushed on Thursday to find compromises on legislation to keep
the federal government functioning through 2012 and extend a
payroll tax cut for 160 million Americans.

After weeks of stuck negotiations and political bickering,
Senate leaders said on Thursday they were optimistic a
bipartisan compromise was nearly at hand on the two bills that
could demonstrate to voters that Washington is able to function
cooperatively – at least for now.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats on Wednesday considered dropping their proposed surtax on millionaires in a bid to reach a deal with Republicans to extend a payroll tax cut for 160 million Americans set to expire at year’s end.

Obama discussed the possibility of abandoning the millionaire tax, which Republicans strongly oppose, at a White House meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Senate Democrats, a senior Senate Democratic aide told Reuters.

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) – The United States on
Wednesday faced the prospect of an imminent government
shutdown for the third time this year as a year-end fight
between Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress over
taxes and spending turned nastier.

Democrats, led by President Barack Obama, are refusing to
sign off on a bipartisan $1 trillion government funding bill
that would keep federal agencies operating beyond Friday. They
first want Republicans to agree to a compromise deal to extend a
payroll tax cut for 160 million Americans.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Deep-seated infighting within the five-member U.S. nuclear safety regulator was exposed on Friday after Democrats and Republicans in Congress separately released complaints about misconduct at the highest levels of the agency.

The details shed new light on how caustic relationships have become at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is rolling out a sweeping series of reforms for U.S. nuclear power plants in the wake of the March disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power plant.