Paul Ryan has 'problem' with GOP payroll tax cut deal

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Wednesday that he has "a problem" with the tentative agreement to extend the payroll tax cut without paying for it. 

Ryan warned that the the move could erode the Social Security Trust Fund, which is funded by the payroll tax.

"Members on our side of the aisle are divided on this question. I personally have a problem with what happens with the Social Security trust fund. So people are divided on this; the Democrats agreed to it, I'd say I don't really know what the number of Republicans are that agree to it, so they basically decided to bring it to the floor and let Congress work its will, and let people vote however they want to," Ryan said during an interview with WLS Radio in Chicago.

Ryan's criticism echoed comments he made Sunday, when he warned that extending the tax holiday without offsetting cuts put the future of Social Security in danger. But it represents a break from House GOP leadership, who announced earlier this week that they would not require spending cuts to offset the costs of the tax cut. Republicans hope to prevent another public showdown on the issue after being hammered by Democrats for almost allowing the tax cut to lapse in December.

“If you just extend this without paying for it by cutting spending, then you’re accelerating the bankruptcy of Social Security,” Ryan said on ABC’s “This Week.”

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday that while significant details of the plan still need to be ironed out, he expected the House to vote on a plan by the end of the week.

Ryan also continued to criticize the president's proposed budget, repeatedly referring to the plan as a "campaign document" and "joke."

"Usually budgets try to fix the problems you have in the country," Ryan said. "This one doesn't even bother trying. This budget not only doesn't fix our debt situation, it makes it worse. It is a net-spending increasing budget when spending is the biggest problem. Huge tax increase, particularly on successful small businesses."

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