On the recordFebruary 8, 2012
Today we find ourselves in the unfortunate and familiar position of running out the clock on the American people. The Republican majority seems to have no problem moving Heaven and Earth to preserve tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. However, they seem content to allow taxes to rise for the working poor and middle class. The majority's orthodoxy that tax cuts solve every problem seems not to extend to those that need it the most. This tax hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed by the American people. Madam Speaker, the 112th Congress has not passed one job-creating bill in the face of this stubbornly high unemployment. And instead of addressing the jobs crisis, they are continuing their assault on the unemployed by threatening to cut off aid to those who would rather have a job in the first place. I urge the majority to put aside election-year politics and pass a long-term payroll tax extension and extend unemployment benefits, especially in light of their failure to address the need for more job opportunity. ____________________
