By Pete Kasperowicz

 

The House payroll tax holiday extension bill on Tuesday afternoon survived its first Democratic challenge — a point of order that sought to derail the legislation.

 

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) raised the point of order before debate on the rule for the bill even began, and was followed by other members of the Congressional Black Caucus who spoke against the bill. The point of order had no chance of success, and members agreed to set it aside in a 227-174 vote; only two Democrats voted with Republicans.

 

Moore said the bill extends the payroll tax holiday and unemployment insurance, but at too high a price, referencing cuts to the number of weeks people would be eligible for that insurance. She quoted a song from the group Cameo called "Talkin' Out the Side of Your Neck," and accused Republicans of doing just that.

 

 

"They talk and talk and talk, making false claims to the middle class, false promises, when they are really trying to protect the interest of the 1 percent," she said. 

Other Democrats called the bill a "sham" and a "disgrace."

 

House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) said that while he and Moore share an affection for R&B music, he was not familiar with "Talkin' Out the Side of Your Neck."

 

"I don't really know that song, but I'll have to check it out," he said. Dreier quoted another artist, Shakespeare, who said, "In such business, action is eloquence."

 

"Any action that my colleagues are proposing on the other side will simply delay out effort that will ensure that we extend the payroll tax holiday for an additional year, and it will prevent us… from providing those benefits to people who are unable to find work today," he said.

 

With the point of order dismissed, the House moved to debating the rule for the legislation, H.R. 3630.

 

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