Max Baucus: “President Kennedy once said: There are risks and costs to action, but they are far less than the long-range risks of…”

“President Kennedy once said: There are risks and costs to action, but they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction. Here we are on December 28, just 3 days from what some have termed the ``fiscal cliff''--trillions of dollars in automatic tax increases, across-the-board spending cuts, including cuts in Medicare payments, unemployment benefits, and more. I rise today to call on the Congress and the President to take immediate action to resolve the year-end fiscal challenges. We can do it. We are very close together. The proposals are not that far part. I make this call on behalf of the people I work for in Montana. My bosses have given me clear marching orders, three simple words: Get it done. I believe their neighbors all across the country agree. It is about time we listened. In all the hype and the rhetoric here on Capitol Hill, many have lost sight of our fundamental duty to serve the American people. It is time to put politics aside and remember what is at stake for working families, farmers, and small business owners across our country. If Congress fails to act by the New Year's deadline, nearly every American will be hit with a tax hike, including 400,000 Montana families. That is approximately $2,000 out of the pockets of America's working families. About 125 million American workers will see smaller paychecks as a result of higher payroll taxes.…”