The latest spending showdown between President Obama and Congressional Republicans continues after House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate measure that would extend a payroll tax cut for two months, benefiting 160 million American workers. Lawmakers have until the end of the month to extend the tax break, after which payroll taxes will jump 2 percent, costing the average U.S. family $1,000 per year. On Tuesday, President Obama criticized Republicans for opposing the Senate measure.

President Obama: “I saw today that one of the House Republicans referred to what they’re doing as, quote, 'high stakes poker.' He’s right about the stakes, but this is not poker. This is not a game. This shouldn’t be politics as usual. Right now the recovery is fragile, but it is moving in the right direction. Our failure to do this could have effects not just on families but on the economy as a whole.”