Daniel B. Maffei: “Well, Madam Speaker, I do understand that, but I do hope that the leadership of this House considers just doing a vote…”

“Well, Madam Speaker, I do understand that, but I do hope that the leadership of this House considers just doing a vote, a regular up-or-down vote, on this or any plan to avoid these arbitrary cuts. We need to institute better programs and methods to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used most efficiently. There's no question about that. We also need comprehensive tax reform that finds revenues in ways that don't hurt the middle class, like ending the tax loopholes for corporations that ship jobs overseas and ending the tax breaks for big oil and gas companies. Madam Speaker, our plan is a balanced approach. More spending cuts and modest revenue increases. Now is not the time for partisan politics. With the future of our economy hanging in the balance, we cannot afford inaction. ____________________”