Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday said Senate Democrats are done negotiating with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
"Trying to negotiate with Speaker Boehner is like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall," Schumer said on MSNBC.
The Senate passed a two-month extension of the backed payroll tax cut legislation in a 89-10 vote on Saturday morning. The House was expected to pass the proposal until Boehner voiced its rejection by House Republicans on Sunday. Boehner said on CBS's "Face the Nation" that legislating tax policy two months at a time is "kicking the can down the road."
Schumer expressed his frustration with Boehner, who he said has "been tying himself in a pretzel" over negotiations.
"Speaker Boehner's a decent guy ... but he's got a caucus that is sort of out of control," Schumer said. "He's afraid of the eighty Tea Party, way-out-there people in his caucus. He's letting them run the caucus, run his House."
Schumer said Boehner has two choices: Pass the bill approved in the Senate, or let the payroll tax cut expire at the end of the year and be responsible for the lapse. Schumer said those are the only choices, rejecting the idea of renegotiating the legislation.
"More talks will lead to the same morass we're in now," Schumer said. He also predicted that passing the two-month extension of the payroll tax cut program guaranteed Congress "will be able to get it done for a year."
President Obama has said Congress should not leave Washington for the Christmas break until it passes the payroll tax cut extension.
The Senate has adjourned for the year. The House returns to work on Monday.
