Xavier Becerra: “My colleagues, there is a legitimate difference of opinion on what constitutes sound economic stimulus for this economy.…”

“My colleagues, there is a legitimate difference of opinion on what constitutes sound economic stimulus for this economy. We all support emergency help for the unemployed Americans, over a million that have exhausted their benefits. There is even widespread support for the tax extenders, such as the work opportunity tax credits. And there is even majority support in the body for the accelerated depreciation of company assets. But there is not bipartisan, bicameral support to pass massive tax cuts that benefit large corporations like Enron and the well-to-do in America, especially when those tax cuts are paid for by workers' contributions to Social Security. These tax cuts raid the Social Security Trust Fund and deepen the deficit by $72 billion this year alone. So let us pass what we all say we agree on: help and relief for the unemployed American. And then let us come back and do the other good, reasonable work on economic stimulus. But do not hold Americans hostage while we bicker.”