Rich Neal: “Today I am reminded of the disappointment that Charlie Brown feels on Valentine's Day when that cute little redhead did…”

“Today I am reminded of the disappointment that Charlie Brown feels on Valentine's Day when that cute little redhead did not give him a valentine. Many of us had great hopes that we could simply take up relief for unemployed workers, a bill which passed the Senate unanimously last week; but just like Charlie Brown, we keep checking the mailbox and unfortunately come away again filled with disappointment. The Republican bill today is composed mainly of some old, worn-out tax items that have been around for a long time. It reflects the tired philosophy of trickle-down economics, take care of the large and powerful corporations and eventually the rest will trickle down to us. But it is wrong to hold this bill hostage to temporary tax relief for the unemployed who, but for the sake of this debate, will find themselves on the outside looking in again for a few more weeks. The disappointment I feel today is not in the same league with the disappointment that many hard-working Americans are going to feel, however. By slapping on a $150 billion tax cut in the dead of night, the leadership has ensured that this bill will not reach the President's desk this weekend. Two million Americans are approaching or already have exhausted their unemployment benefits and cannot be assured that any relief is in sight. That disappointment is one that I hoped the Congress would not be delivering on this Valentine's Day. Reject the bill in front of us. Let us go back to work.”