Political Quotes

“Madam President, I wish to thank the Senator from Michigan for her leadership on this issue--21 days until Christmas, 27 days until ``cliffmas.'' That is the fiscal cliff--December 31--and people are counting down. Two-thirds of Americans are watching this debate on Capitol Hill because it affects every single family, every individual. One has to think, could Congress possibly step back and let taxes go up on working families? What are they thinking? We know what working families are dealing with. Many working families across America struggle paycheck to paycheck. The Pugh Institute did a study last year and asked working families how many could come up with $2,000 in 30 days for an emergency expenditure. It is easy to imagine one--a car repair, a quick trip to the hospital emergency room costing $2,000. Only half of working families could come up with $2,000 in 30 days. That shows how close to the edge many people live. And now we have before us the possibility that these very same families struggling with these issues are in fact going to see their taxes go up on December 31. There is one person who will decide that: Speaker John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives. Now, why am I putting all this on poor John Boehner, a Congressman from Ohio, from a working family himself? Well, because it is within his power to call before the House of Representatives a measure that passed the Senate last July.…”