WASHINGTON—The White House says President Barack Obama has called House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to urge a resolution to the payroll tax cut standoff.

Spokesman Jay Carney says Obama urged Boehner to bring the House back into session to pass a two-month extension of the cuts previously approved by the Senate. Carney says Obama reiterated that he is committed to then working on a full-year extension of the cuts.

Carney would not say how Boehner responded to Obama's request.

Carney says unless the House passes the two-month extension, taxes will increase on 160 million people after the first of the year.