Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama signed a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut Friday, ending what had been a heated political stalemate and sealing a hard-fought win for Democrats on an issue -- taxes -- that has historically favored the GOP. Earlier in the day, the measure cleared the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives by unanimous consent, a procedural move allowing the measure to pass even though most members of Congress were already home for the holidays. "This is some good news just in the nick of time," Obama said shortly before departing the White House for Hawaii. But "we have a lot more work to do. This continues to be a make-or-break moment for the middle class in this country."
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Obama signs 2-month payroll tax cut extension
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House GOP's defeat raises new questions about Boehner's leadership
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The House and Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent
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The procedural move allowed the measure to pass even though most members have left town
@placeholder will consider a longer extension of all three measures when it reconvenes in January.
In a virtual party-line vote, the House on Tuesday passed a measure calling for the creation of a @placeholder-Senate conference committee to consider ways to pay for an immediate year-long continuation.
Facing rising @placeholder establishment fears that the GOP was squandering its political advantage on taxes, the speaker again reversed himself on Thursday, this time essentially consenting to the Senate's terms.