On the recordFebruary 15, 2012
One hundred sixty days ago, the President of the United States came to this Chamber and put forward a plan to create jobs for our country. One of the ideas that he had to create jobs for our country was to put our construction workers back to work building schools and fixing roads and bridges so they could have money to spend in stores and restaurants and help the country. For 160 days, the majority ignored this idea. Now what they've done is brought this idea to the floor that is doomed for failure and won't work. In the other body, Republicans and Democrats worked together and 80 Members have voted for a bill that in fact would put construction workers back to work, they're cooperating on it, and I think it has a great chance to pass and be signed by the President. But consistent with their principle that consensus is always to be avoided, the majority over here did something else. The ``something else'' is a bill that will actually kill jobs in the United States, and we should not support it. But the way they did it I think merits some mention. Many on the other side were outraged when they thought the health care bill was going to be brought up when no one had read it and it wasn't going to be a straight up-or-down vote. What in fact happened was the health care bill was available to the public and the Members for 7 weeks-- every word of it--and there was a direct up-or-down vote.…
