Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, indeed, this is a sad state of affairs in which we find ourselves and having to deal with this in the waning days of the 111th Congress. In just a mere 16 days, a massive tax increase--$3.8 trillion--will hit every American taxpayer at a time when we are dealing with high unemployment, very sluggish economic growth, and uncertainty about our future. American families and businesses have had uncertainty hanging over their heads for months, and we have known about the date of the expiration of these tax provisions. It is time for this Congress to act. It is way past due. No one is satisfied. No one in this body, I'm sure, is satisfied completely with this bill. I certainly don't like provisions in it. We may not like the situation that we find ourselves in, but it is this situation that determines our duty to act. Mr. Chairman, we cannot roll the dice with the American economy and with the fate of American families and American businesses. That would be the height of irresponsibility, and we have seen enough of that in this 111th Congress.”