On the recordSeptember 21, 2012
I thank the gentleman for his comments. He is absolutely right. Mr. Speaker, just for the knowledge of all of our Members, the Senate did pass a middle class tax cut, making sure that 98 percent of our taxpayers would not get any increase in their taxes on the 1st of January. That bill is over here. It has not been brought to the floor, notwithstanding the fact, I believe, that every one of us believes that those taxpayers ought not get an increase. So there is overwhelming support for that bill, bipartisan support, but it won't be brought to the floor. On the Violence Against Women Act, to ensure that women and families are not subjected to dangerous domestic violence, it passed 68-31 through the United States Senate; not passed here. Postal reform passed 62-37 in a bipartisan vote in the United States Senate; not paid attention to here. The farm bill, which passed with 64 votes--almost 2- 1 in the United States Senate on a bipartisan vote with 16 Republican Senators voting for it--has not been brought to this floor. Yet we walk away. We walk away from the American people. I now yield to my friend from Illinois, the gentlelady from Illinois, Jan Schakowsky.
