On the recordFebruary 7, 2012
We have no speakers remaining. Mr. McGOVERN. Then I will close for our side. {time} 1310 Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I will agree with my colleague on the Rules Committee that what is before us today is a small idea. The fact is that we have some big problems in this country and they require big and bold solutions, like extending the payroll tax cut for middle class Americans. Mark Zandi, a Republican economist who worked for John McCain, said that if we don't extend the payroll tax cut it might cost as many as 500,000 jobs in this country. It is a little bit puzzling to me--and I think to the American people who are observing this--that rather than bringing that bill to the floor or rather than bringing bills to the floor that will help enact the President's jobs program or any kind of bill that will help put people back to work, we are dealing with this, which my friend on the other side of the aisle said is a small thing, a small idea. I think we can do better. I think the American people are expecting us to do much better. We should be having a debate on our manufacturing agenda. We need to get a tax structure in place that encourages manufacturing investment here in this country. We should be eliminating tax incentives and loopholes that encourage financial speculation-- rather than investment--and outsourcing and offshoring their production and enact tax incentives for companies that produce domestically.…
