On the recordSeptember 20, 2012
the American people are asking two big questions: Why has the Senate not acted to stop the $4\1/2\ trillion tax hike that will occur on January 12 unless we act; and, second, why has the Senate not voted to replace the across-the-board defense cuts that will devastate our national security? The unfortunate answer is because Senate Democrats and the Obama administration are too afraid to tackle, let alone vote on, the tough issues in an election year. For Americans outside the Beltway, the consequences are very serious. The Congressional Budget Office tells us that failure to avoid this fiscal cliff will shrink the economy next year and push unemployment above 9 percent. That means 2 million jobs will be lost and we will be back in recession. The House has acted. Election year or not, there is no excuse for the Senate to not follow the House's action, its lead, to avoid the job- killing consequence of this fiscal cliff. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Maine.
