On the recordJuly 11, 2011
the Senate has just adopted a motion to proceed to a bill, S. 1323, to express the sense of the Senate on shared sacrifice in resolving the budget deficit we have been so concerned about. It is my understanding the minority has amendments they wish to have considered. I am happy to work with the Republican leader to figure out a way for this to happen. In the meantime, however, we need to push forward. We all need to do that. I am going to fill the tree and file cloture on this bill. I am happy to continue to talk with the Republican leader and anybody else who is interested in having specific amendments to this legislation we are now on. I will not allow this legislation to be bogged down by an endless list of unrelated amendments. It is too important for the Senate to reaffirm its commitment to ensuring all Americans--including millionaires and billionaires and profitable corporations--contribute to the collective effort to reduce this deficit. This is a commonsense statement that we believe in simple fairness. Middle-class families and seniors have already been asked to sacrifice too much. Democrats have gone on record saying that the wealthiest of the wealthy should be asked to contribute to this effort and make similar sacrifices. We hope our Republican colleagues will finally join us in this effort.…





