On the recordDecember 16, 2010
As we work to close out this session of Congress, Members of this House today will vote on a major piece of legislation to extend tax cuts for every American. While this bill is expected to help provide a boost to our economy, perhaps equally important is the way that we arrived at this stage in the legislative process--through bipartisan compromise. This bill is a result of negotiation between Republicans and Democrats, between the President and the Congress, between the House and the Senate. That's right. This bill which we are going to pass today and send to the President is a result of the type of give-and-take negotiation that is supposed to be part of the legislative process but that, unfortunately, has long been lacking in Congress. Hopefully, passage of this bill today will be but a sign of things to come. I hope the new Republican leadership in Congress taking office on January 5 will incorporate all points of view--of Republicans and Democrats alike--and will continue working in a bipartisan way to put the American people ahead of partisan politics.
