WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler broke from the Republican party Tuesday to back a Senate-passed two-month extension of payroll-tax cuts, one of just seven GOP House members to side with Democrats on what has become a high-stakes partisan stand off.

The House voted 229 to 193 to reject a stop-gap deal brokered between Senate Democrats and Republicans to extend through February a temporary reduction in Social Security taxes from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent.

Without congressional action, payroll taxes will revert to 6.2 percent Jan. 1 Also, extended unemployment benefits for long-term jobless will end.

The House last week passed a measure to keep the payroll tax at 4.2 percent for one more year but also to roll back extended unemployment compensation. But that bill was loaded with unrelated provisions opposed by Democrats, leading the Senate to punt on the whole thing and to settle on a two-month extension by a 89-10 vote.

Herrera Beutler, a freshman from Camas, explained her vote by saying she was unwilling to gamble with people's paychecks and benefits.

"I had hoped the Senate would have agreed that a year extension is better than two months," she said in an email through her spokesman. "But I know that families in southwest Washington are struggling to make ends meet, and I wanted to eliminate any of their fear that this relief wouldn’t be in place January 1.”

The three other Republicans from the Washington delegation, including Rep. Dave Reichert of Auburn, voted against the Senate compromise. Technically, the vote was to call the Senate back to Capitol Hill for negotiations -- something Senate Democrats so far have refused.

Sen. Patty Murray, the No. 4 Senate Democratic leader, issued a statement accusing House Republicans of playing partisan games with constituents' welfare.

"The Republicans in the House of Representatives, led by members of the Tea Party, refused to accept compromise," Murray said. "Instead they have decided to play another game of chicken with the livelihoods of Americans who want no part of their radical agenda."