On the recordDecember 3, 2010
I had hoped we would be able to come to agreement with Republicans to hold votes today to protect middle-class families. But the Republican caucus would not agree, so we will have a series of votes tomorrow on the tax rates set to expire at the end of this month. Democrats' priorities are clear. We are protecting middle-class families every way we can. Tomorrow's votes will show where Republican priorities are and where ours are. Those votes will clearly demonstrate who supports the middle class, and that includes every Senator. The minority can spin any way they want what has taken place over the last 24 hours. They can pretend giving the rich tax breaks creates jobs, even though we know from the past decade that it does not. If that were the case, the economy would be booming, except during the last years of the Bush administration, when those tax cuts were in effect, we lost 8 million jobs. They can pretend we can afford to give billionaires another handout, even though we know we can't. But no matter how many times you pretend, it doesn't make it true. The truth is simple: Holding middle-class tax cuts hostage for tax breaks for the wealthy that they don't need and we cannot afford is irresponsible.
