Political Quotes

“Madam President, the Senate will vote shortly on the nomination of Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary. I urge opposition to this nomination. Here is why. First off, nearly a million dollars in unpaid Medicare taxes. For the vast majority of Americans, paying Medicare taxes is automatic. They come straight out of every paycheck. Not so for individuals like Mr. Bessent. Those at the very top who operate under a different set of tax rules operate a different way. Mr. Bessent comes from Wall Street. To opt out of paying his fair share into Medicare, he follows a tax dodge that is common among ultrawealthy hedge fund managers. They spend top dollar to get the best tax lawyers and accountants. They mash together loopholes and twist the law until--poof--Medicare taxes just disappear. Mr. Bessent has avoided paying almost a million dollars in the 3 years of tax returns the Finance Committee has reviewed. There could be a lot more in other years. Now the Treasury Department says what Mr. Bessent is doing is a violation of the law. The IRS has gone to court twice to close this loophole. It won both times. We raised this with Mr. Bessent and urged him to pay what he owes. He said no. He is just going to wait out the appeals process, running down the clock in the hopes he doesn't have to pay. So if Mr. Bessent is confirmed, the day that he is sworn in, the Treasury Secretary will be in violation of Treasury policy. Let me repeat that. If Mr.…”