On the recordJanuary 24, 2012
I thank my freshman colleague from New York for yielding. I've been watching this discussion, this debate going on, and I am once again amazed by the issue. I am in favor of this motion to instruct. In fact, I am so much in favor of it that I wish we weren't here talking about it right now. I wish we had finished the people's work in 2011. As my colleague has pointed out, we were here. This idea that somehow we don't work up until the minute, Mr. Speaker, this is ridiculous. This is absolutely ridiculous. This is nothing more than a dog and pony show. As a conferee, I am anxious to begin the House and Senate-level meetings and to learn about what policy pathway will get us to the yearlong extension we are all seeking, what we voted for, what we passed in the House of Representatives--bipartisan effort, mind you. I am waiting to see what the Senate has to say about this on this 1,000th day of their not even passing a budget. The Senate's willingness to produce a plan is critical to giving employers, workers, and those seeking to reenter the workforce certainty they need. Again, I am ready to work on this issue. My colleagues are ready to work on this issue. We were ready to fix this problem in 2011, where it should have been left, so that into 2012 we could provide certainty for the American people. I support this effort, and let's get to work.
