WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Democratic and
Republican leaders rallied support on Thursday in a divided U.S.
Congress for a bipartisan deal to renew a payroll tax cut for
160 million U.S. workers through the November elections.

The agreement represents a victory for President Barack
Obama and his fellow Democrats in Congress, and allows
Republicans to put behind them a battle over taxes that
threatened to hurt them in the November elections.

WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) – A payroll tax cut for
160 million Americans, set to expire at the end of this month,
would be extended through December under a bipartisan deal
announced early on Thursday by U.S. congressional leaders.

The accord would also renew expiring jobless benefits for
millions of others and prevent a pay cut for doctors of elderly
Medicare patients.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Negotiators on Wednesday reached a sweeping tax cut deal that provides a victory to President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats in Congress and frees Republicans of an issue that threatened to stalk them to the November elections.

“The deal is done,” a top Republican aide said after the main negotiators from both parties worked out their remaining differences. A senior Democratic aide said the top negotiators had finished their work.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday reached a sweeping tax cut deal that provides a victory to Democrats and frees Republicans of an issue that threatened to stalk them to the November elections.

“The deal is done,” a top Republican aide said after the main negotiators from both parties worked out their remaining differences. A senior Democratic aide said the top negotiators had finished their work.

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) – U.S. congressional
negotiators on Wednesday worked to finish details on a
comprehensive payroll tax cut deal that would give Democrats a
rare victory and free Republicans of an issue that threatened to
stalk them to the November elections.

If no last-minute problems arise, the House of
Representatives and Senate were expected to vote by the end of
this week to extend President Barack Obama’s tax cut for 160
million workers through Dec. 31.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers reached a tentative deal on Tuesday on legislation aimed at boosting the economy by extending a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers through this year and continuing long-term jobless benefits, congressional aides said.

The tentative agreement, mainly negotiated by Democratic Senator Max Baucus and Republican Representative Dave Camp, is expected to be formally signed on Wednesday by the bipartisan negotiating panel they head. That would clear the way for a House of Representatives vote possibly by week’s end.

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers were
close to a deal on Tuesday on legislation that would boost the
economy in the short term by extending a payroll tax cut for 160
million workers through this year and continue long-term jobless
benefits, congressional aides said.

A deal could be reached as early as Tuesday night if
Republicans in the House of Representatives agreed to it, a
congressional aide told Reuters. House members were due to meet
at 6 p.m. (2300 GMT) to discuss it.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers were nearing a deal on Tuesday on legislation that would boost the economy in the short term by extending a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers and long-term jobless benefits for a full year, congressional aides said.

As Democratic and Republican negotiators worked on the final details of a broad agreement, President Barack Obama upped the pressure, telling lawmakers not to derail the economic recovery by allowing the measures to expire at the end of the month.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican leaders in the House of Representatives on Monday dropped their demand for spending reductions to pay for extending a tax cut for 160 million American workers, setting up a likely breakthrough for agreement with Democrats.

The about-face cleared the way for the Republican-led House to vote this week to renew for 10 months the tax cut set to expire on February 29.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top Republican lawmaker predicted on Friday he would be exonerated by a congressional investigation into whether he broke any insider trading laws or ethics rules, but it was unclear if he would be able to retain his job as the chairman of a key committee.

“I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight,” said Spencer Bachus, chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. “I have fully abided by the rules governing members of Congress and look forward to the full exoneration this process will provide.”