To the surprise of many, Congress reached a bipartisan agreement on the 17th of February to extend payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits. It was only the second time a House bill in the 112th Congress split roughly along party lines, according to the New York Times.

Largely regarded as a coup for Congressional Democrats, the bill maintains a two-percentage point payroll tax cut for 160 million working Americans and provides additional unemployment benefits to millions. Republicans had wanted to fund the payroll tax with spending cuts but, facing Democratic opposition, agreed to allow the package to increase the budget deficit. Republicans also reluctantly agreed to extend the unemployment insurance program long past the date they originally sought. Republicans did, however, score concessions from the Democrats, including new limits on unemployment compensation and elimination of the preventative health spending provision of the 2010 healthcare overhaul.