Sam Gejdenson: “I must be missing something. One of the great things about this country was that we have been a compassionate country.…”

“I must be missing something. One of the great things about this country was that we have been a compassionate country. My Republican friends seem to have incredible compassion for billionaires. Let me explain the difference to Members about the concerns. When we cut taxes for the top 1 and 2 percent, yes, they can get their new Mercedes a couple of months earlier. They have to make choices. When we cut their taxes, they are able to make choices about yachts and trips and Mercedes. When we talk about the people who work for a living and are at the bottom of the economic ladder, those people who we deprive of the $500-per-child tax credit because they pay other taxes, not just income taxes, these are people who are making decisions about putting clothes on their children's backs, feeding them nutritious meals, keeping the family together under a roof, and staying warm in the winter. So it seems to me the compassion ought to start with those with the greatest need, not with the greatest greed.”