(Image Souce: Flickr/StormCrypt)

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching multi-source political news analysis from Newsy. 

Congress is at it again. Ideas flying, bills colliding. This time, it’s over a bill to extend the payroll tax cuts next year. But Republicans have upped the ante -- and it has Democrats piping mad. Fox News explains what inspired Republicans into action.

“When the president stuck his nose into this and said he would reject a package including the Keystone Pipeline issue, the message from the rank-and-file to the leadership is, ‘Let’s fight.’”

The payroll tax cuts have had lawmakers squabbling, but the Keystone Pipeline adds a new layer of complexity. Atlanta’s WAGA explains the highlights of the potential new deal.

“Republicans want a provision that would ensure construction of an oil pipeline that would stretch from Canada to Texas. President Obama has said he’ll veto that. He also says he’ll delay his own Christmas vacation as long as it takes to get a deal done.”

But on analyst tells Fox Business vetoing this measure might not be such a good idea -- saying this project will definitely create jobs -- and isn’t that something the president’s been talking about?

“I wouldn’t categorize that project as ‘shovel ready,’ so it’s not going to have an immediate impact in the next six months, but it’ll be a very positive impact in the long-term. And I think after the election, we’ll see it approved by the White House. But certainly pushing it off further does not help the economy in the short term.”

But, as The Hill reports, despite the GOP’s increased confidence, Democrats came out swinging -- on Friday Nancy Pelosi called the Republican-backed initiative a “poison pill.”
 

“The inclusion of the Keystone language — designed to attract the support of wary conservatives — indicates the GOP ‘isn't serious’ about enacting the legislation, Pelosi charged.”

Adding to that, a writer for Politic365 says despite Republicans’ best efforts, Democrats may actually have the upper hand in this battle.

“Republicans are getting … (how can we say?) … out-tax-cutted on their own game. … [Democrats are] giving the impression that they’re protecting the average cat while, well – here go those Republicans again, making sure the rich keep their loopholes.”

But as Politico reports, in an effort to simply reach a deal, Democrats might just have to hold their noses and vote for the GOP’s option.

“[Rep. Emanuel] Cleaver also said he thought the president was serious on his threat to veto a payroll tax extension if the Keystone pipeline was added to the bill, but expressed concern that the tradeoff might be the best deal that Republicans and Democrats can come to.”

A vote on the Republican measure is expected in the House next week. If a deal is not reached by Congress’ December 16 deadline, members might count on spending Christmas at the Capitol.