Mr. President, after careful deliberation, I have decided to support the bipartisan tax agreement. If Congress does not pass this agreement, taxes will rise for all middle class families. Unemployment insurance will end for millions of Americans--including 75,000 Marylanders. And important tax breaks for low and middle income workers will expire. This agreement is not perfect. Yet, if Congress does not extend unemployment insurance and tax breaks for the middle class, the economy could slip backwards. This is the only realizable option we have right now to create jobs, stabilize our economy, and ensure that there is a safety net for people who have lost their jobs. This package maintains tax cuts for the middle class so that working families do not see their taxes rise in a difficult economy. It will help 100 million middle class families by preventing a tax increase of over $2,000 for the typical family from going into effect on January 1st. It also prevents more than 21 million families from coming under the Alternative Minimum Tax. This deal extends the Earned Income Tax Credit--providing $800 million in tax relief for Maryland families. It also extends the tuition tax credit which has helped 170,000 students in Maryland. This plan will extend unemployment benefits through the end of 2011. It will help over 75,000 families in Maryland who have lost their jobs. It will help them put food on the table, pay their rent, and pay their energy bills.…
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The Senator from Oregon is absolutely correct. This would be funding that would begin October 1. Given no cute tricks around shutdown and slam-down politics as we go into the fall--that we could actually move our appropriations--this would…
In the interest of time, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
Mr. President, I rise today to speak about my longtime friend and colleague Barbara Boxer, who is retiring from this body along with me this year. Senator Boxer will be remembered as an inspiration to young women across our country. Her…
Mr. President, I have a question for the distinguished Senator from Utah. What are the Senator's proposals to stabilize the Social Security trust fund?





