By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff

Senate Republicans instrumental in twice blocking proposals for extending the Social Security payroll tax cut for employees through next year are doubtful a bipartisan compromise can be reached.

Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said Senate Democrats and the Obama administration have a choice: accept a payroll tax cut extension measure House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio is expected to unveil Friday or allow the payroll tax cut to expire.

“The package that comes from the House is it. I don’t think there is any further negotiation. Once [House members] pass it, that’s it,” Kyl said late Thursday.

Kyl expressed deep skepticism that any bipartisan negotiations between Democratic and Republican leaders will succeed. “I can’t game all that out,” he said.

House Republicans are expected to release their prescription for extending the tax cut Friday and the House is slated to consider the proposal next week. The proposal is expected to incorporate an extension of unemployment insurance benefits and language to avert a scheduled cut in Medicare reimbursement payments to health care providers at year’s end.

House Republicans will include provisions to remove barriers to construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a step President Obama said he would reject.

The House measure also is expected to offset the cost of keeping the Social Security tax paid by workers at 4.2 percent, down from 6.2 percent, next year by extending a pay freeze on federal employees for three years beyond 2012. Further, it is anticipated the proposal will raise the cost of Medicare premiums of individuals earning more than $1 million a year and prevent the same people from claiming unemployment benefits and food stamps.

Kyl expressed opposition to the Republican measure (S 1931) backed by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Democratic version (S 1944) that would reduce the payroll tax paid by workers to 3.1 percent. He said the GOP plan is flawed because it would siphon money from the Social Security trust fund.

“I have a lot of reasons for voting no,” Kyl said, referring to his party’s plan. “I don’t think it represents good policy,” he added of the payroll tax cut.

Kyl and other senior Republicans said the offsets House Republican leaders are likely to propose are being fashioned to attract the support of some Senate Democrats. “[House leaders] appreciate the fact that they are going have to pass it here, and they will have to attract Democrats,” Kyl said.

Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Republican conference, also expressed doubts a compromise can be reached. He said he had long been opposed to the idea of “creating any sort of long-term use of Social Security funds for any other purpose.”

Alexander said he remained opposed to the McConnell-backed proposal, though he said he would take a look at the proposal being developed by House Republicans. “I don’t like anything that creates a raid on the Social Security trust fund if we can help it,” Alexander said.

He said it was unclear whether any settlement could be negotiated. “By the end of next week, we should have an answer,” Alexander said.