"This is not the first time," he said. Durbin said he hoped the tax cut would be allowed to lapse next year though he said he couldn't rule out another extension.
It's that uncertainty that concerns some lawmakers.
"We shouldn't let the federal government undermine Social Security by convincing Americans that they don't really have to pay for it," said Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat. "If we extend the cuts this year, what about the next year and the year after? When does it stop?"