On the recordDecember 15, 2011
It's no secret that my Republican colleagues really don't want to extend the payroll tax cuts and unemployment insurance. Republican Members have called it a gimmick. They've admitted the only reason they brought it up for a vote was that they didn't want to take the political heat for raising taxes on the middle class. But instead of coming up with an honest compromise designed to actually pass, Republicans have filed a bill with provisions that wind up actually hurting the middle class and many still struggling in this slow economy. Playing risky political games with our clean air, our clean water, raising Medicare premiums on seniors, that's not the way Americans expect us to govern, and designing a bill that can't pass is the type of political games that my Missouri constituents are fed up with. We need an honest bill now. I call on my Republican colleagues to stop the obstruction, stop the distraction, stop the games. Let's pass a real payroll tax bill now. ____________________
