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Republicans in the House on Tuesday rejected the Senate's two-month extension of an expiring payroll tax cut, and moved toward initiating formal talks with Democrats on a final deal.

Top House Republicans said Sunday they oppose a Senate-approved bill that extends a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for just two months and said congressional bargainers need to write a new version lasting a longer time....

Republican officials say legislation being drafted in the House would renew an expiring program of unemployment benefits at a time of 9 percent joblessness. The measure also would extend a Social Security payroll tax cut. Both are due to expire at the end of the year. The officials say the cost of provisions will be offset to avoid increasing the deficit.

A key Republican leader assured Sunday that a congressional supercommittee will reach agreement on $1.5 trillion in cuts in government spending by next month's deadline and avert deep automatic measures.

A large group of Senate Republicans unveiled a jobs bill Thursday, saying they were tired of hearing President Obama assert they had not put forward a plan to spur hiring and jump-start the economy.

"'Joe the Plumber," who gained prominence during the 2008 presidential campaign, has filed papers to run for Congress in Ohio. Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher submitted a statement of candidacy for Ohio's 9th Congressional District -- a seat heavily changed in redistricting that will pit Democrats Dennis Kucinich and Marcy Kaptur in a primary. Wurzelbacher filed to run as a Republican.

The U.S. House of Representatives unexpectedly defeated a bill that would fund the federal government past September 30 on Wednesday as dozens of Republicans broke with their party to push for deeper spending cuts.

Sen. Lamar Alexander says he'll resign from his GOP leadership post to spend more time making the Senate "a more effective institution."

Republican leaders on Sunday criticized President Barack Obama's proposal for a new tax on millionaires, calling it "class warfare" and predicting it will face heavy opposition in Congress.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul won a California straw poll, the state Republican Party announced in a statement Saturday night.