Tony Hall: “Mr. Speaker, middle- and working-class families need and deserve a tax cut this year. Democrats believe that we should…”

“Mr. Speaker, middle- and working-class families need and deserve a tax cut this year. Democrats believe that we should cut taxes for all families within the framework of a fiscally responsible budget that strengthens Social Security, allows for a Medicare prescription drug benefit, works down the national debt, and allows us to address pressing needs in education and health care and in national defense. We support a responsible plan that meets the needs of all of America's families. Regrettably, the Republican leadership has chosen a different path. They have rejected bipartisanship, they have turned aside efforts to reduce the size of the tax cut that goes to the wealthiest wage earners in this country so that we can invest in education and a prescription drug benefit. Mark my words, the President and the Republican leadership have no intention of abiding by a $1.3 trillion tax cut that is contained in their budget. They are going to move things around. There will be some creative accounting. And they are going to try to fit more than a $3 trillion tax cut into this $1.3 trillion bag. They have no intention of stopping. That is not responsible and it is not what is best for all of America's families. We make it impossible to meet the needs of Social Security and Medicare or to invest in education.”