Xavier Becerra: “I thank the gentlelady for yielding. If you're in the middle class, shouldn't it feel like you're in the middle of…”

“I thank the gentlelady for yielding. If you're in the middle class, shouldn't it feel like you're in the middle of America? Yet the politics of extremism is pushing the middle class to the very edge--the very edge. Our House Republican colleagues continue to ignore the calls from the American people to extend middle class tax cuts now. That politics of extremism is threatening to raise taxes on the middle class by the amount of about $2,200 starting January 1. Republicans should, once and for all, join with Democrats and the American public to bring the bipartisan, Senate-passed middle class tax cut bill to a vote on the House floor. Passage of the bipartisan middle class tax cut bill ensures that 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses don't see a single tax increase next year. Democrats and two-thirds of the American people agree with a growing number of Republicans who are telling their Republican colleagues, Take the 98 percent deal; take the 98 percent deal. My friends, this is not the time to put a foot on the brake of our economic recovery that we're beginning to experience. It's time to get our work done. Remember, colleagues, where we were 4 years ago. Four years ago, November 2008, our country was hemorrhaging 800,000 American jobs. This November, we got the news, 146,000 new jobs. It's time to continue that progress.…”