On the recordDecember 20, 2011
I thank the gentleman. The President of the United States has said it would be inexcusable not to extend the payroll tax cut for 1 year. Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Hoyer have said the same thing, as have dozens of other leading Democrats. I agree with them and so does a bipartisan majority of the House who last week voted to extend the tax cut for 1 year. Now why do we support it for 1 year? Because 2 months only gives uncertainty to this fragile economy. Uncertainty. Families can't plan, businesses can't plan, and jobs can't be created. So why do the Democrats want the 2 months? Sadly, because like their Democrat colleagues in the Senate, they want to go home. But do you know what? There is a 200-year-old mechanism for ironing out Senate and House agreements. It's called ``conference committee.'' Now your leader has decided not to appoint people to this conference committee. You want to compromise, that's what this vote is all about. We want to compromise. We know we can't get everything we want. But unlike the Senate, we're not saying it's our way or the highway. We're saying compromise. Vote ``yes'' on this vote. Let's compromise, and let's get this done.
