Congressional plans for the holiday recess were thrown into disarray after House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) announced that he opposed the Senate-passed payroll tax compromise.
Following a conference call on Saturday in which House members expressed their disagreement with the Senate bill, Speaker Boehner told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he would introduce an alternative when the House reconvenes on Monday.
Speaker Boehner argued that Congress should do more than pass a two-month payroll tax extension. "Let's get our work done, let's do this for a year."
After passing the compromise bill by a vote of 89-10, the Senate went into recess, with a series of pro forma sessions scheduled until the full Senate reconvenes on Monday, Jan. 23.
However, to avoid a Dec. 31 deadline when the payroll tax holiday expires, both chambers must reconcile their differences over the bill.
The White House issued a press statement on Sunday, calling on the House to pass the two-month extension before taking up efforts to forge year-long extension.
"If House Republicans refuse to pass this bipartisan bill to extend the payroll tax cut," the White House warned, "there will be a significant tax increase on 160 million hardworking Americans in 13 days that would damage the economy and job growth."
Under the Senate-passed measure, the payroll tax rate would stay the same until February. The deal also includes the so-called "doc fix" which sets reimbursement rates for Medicare providers, a two month extension of unemployment insurance, and language relating to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the U.S.