Instead of "Working Through The Holidays," GOP Shuts Down The House, Turns Off The Cameras.

Yesterday, a chief House Republican talking point [1] was they really, really, really wanted a compromise on a payroll tax cut extension, and were "willing to work over the holidays" [1] to get one.

Then, right after voting to ignore the Senate-passed bipartisan compromise and demand re-opening negotiations, most of them left town. W. Post reports: [2]

As the last vote was called in the House on Wednesday — a resolution restating House support for its own payroll tax bill adopted last week — lawmakers left clearly believing their work was done through Christmas.

“All right! Woo-hoo!” said Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), her coat under her arm, heading for the Capitol doors.

But technically, the House did not adjourn just yet. And this morning, Democrats went to the floor planning to propose a solution: allow the full House to directly vote on the Senate compromise, something which the House Republican leadership has not allowed for fear it would pass. [3]

How did the House leadership respond?

By literally ignoring the Democratic request as it was being shouted on the House floor, slamming down the gavel, adjourning the House for two days, walking off the floor without a word, and pulling the plug on the C-Span cameras. [4]

The blatant disrespect House Republicans have for the working Americans who pay their salaries could not be more stark.

They are not "working through the holidays."

They are recklessly snubbing the work that other legislators put in to avoid making the middle class take an unnecessary hit while the jobs crisis continues.

And they are closing up shop instead of allowing the will of majority to be expressed.

They seemed to think that they had an unlimited ability to get away with perpetual obstruction by making up-and-down arguments and shirk responsibility. But now even the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board is sputtering [5] that the House Republican foolishness is paving the way for the President's re-election.

The Republicans need to keep feeling the pressure if they are to reverse course and save the middle class from an unnecessary tax increase. Sign the petition at OurFuture.org/stopGOPsabotage [6].