On the recordMay 15, 2014
I said before that I am willing to debate and have votes on amendments related to tax extenders, and we heard Senator Reid essentially extend the olive branch once more. That is exactly what Senator Hatch and I did on a bipartisan basis in the Finance Committee, and I am ready and willing to do that again in the full Senate. But the Senate can't do that if action on the tax extenders bill is blocked today. So now the Senate has the opportunity to vote against a big tax increase--actually, a bunch of big tax increases--that would slam our fragile economy hard and would punish innovators, punish our small businesses, punish homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages, punish returning veterans looking for jobs, and punish students and classroom teachers. Colleagues, who here thinks it makes sense to tax innovation? That is what is going to happen if the tax extenders bill fails to pass today. Who here thinks it makes sense-- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
