On the recordDecember 12, 2012
Thank you. I sure appreciate your leadership on this issue and drawing attention to the very real crisis that we have in this country and the very real opportunity we have. You know, the real issue that is before us today is that it's time for Washington to stop spending money it doesn't have and the fact that Washington has a spending problem, not a taxing problem. The President's proposal is a nonstarter, and it's a red herring. It might sound good to some, but it doesn't solve the problem, and we are problem solvers and that's what we're here to do. Even if we gave the President what he wants and raised taxes on family business owners in America, it would only generate enough revenue to fund the government for 8 days. It would not make a dent in our yearly deficit or reduce our national debt. Only by creating jobs and reducing spending will we balance our budget, and the American people understand that. I would love to share with you a few comments that I received. I don't know about you and your office, but I've received hundreds of emails and phone calls from people at home who want to weigh in on this very important issue, and I love their commonsense advice. You know, the best knowledge and expertise on these issues is from the people. It's not from the bureaucrats here in Washington, D.C. Here's just a few of the comments that I've received this week from people back home. Mike in Sedalia says: The issue is not the raising of taxes, but good solid budget cuts.…
