Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I want to speak for a few minutes on the tax package that is before the Senate and that we will be voting on tomorrow. Yesterday, the Senate voted to proceed to this $857 or $858 billion package that would have the effect of extending all personal income tax rates for 2 years, substantially reducing the estate tax, establishing or extending a host of tax incentives for American families and businesses. I think the way to evaluate this package is on two basic grounds. First of all, how does it help us deal with the very substantial economic problem we face with trying to strengthen the recovery from this deep economic downturn that we have experienced and, second, how is it helping us to set a long-term course to achieve fiscal stability. On the first issue, the economic recovery, there is much in the package that I would strongly support and that I do strongly support. We should protect 98 percent of American households from any tax increase. We should extend benefits to our fellow Americans who are unable to find jobs in this period of very high unemployment. We should continue key business incentives such as the section 103 program, which has provided a critical lifeline to the renewable energy industry. If the only economic imperative that we faced was how to strengthen this recovery from the downturn, I would be voting for the package. But as I said at the outset, that is not our only economic imperative.…”