Just a month or two ago, an extension to the payroll tax holiday, which expires Jan. 1, was considered impossible, but some Democrats in the House of Representatives now say that keeping the issue alive is both good policy and good politics during impending fiscal cliff negotiations.

While President Obama and other congressional Democrats seem inclined to end it, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the ranking member on the Budget Committee, spoke in support of it, saying, “If we’re going to be talking about these kinds of tax relief measures, we should focus on the one that helps 160 million Americans and that would provide an economic boost.” He called contrasting the payroll tax approach with Republicans’ desire to keep tax cuts for the wealthy a “useful message.”