On the recordDecember 20, 2011
The American people know why we are here today. We are here today because the President's economic policies have failed. Since the President was elected, unemployment has been at, near, or above 9 percent, one in seven on food stamps, small business startups at about a 17-year low. That's the Obama economy. And because of that, Mr. Speaker, almost every single Member of the House and Senate agree that we should extend the payroll tax holiday for another year. What is so confusing to many of us is that, as my friends on the other side of the aisle say, yes, we need to do this for a year, like the President said, like the American people expect, and yet they all want to vote against it. So the disagreement we have here is: Do you want to punt the ball down the field, do you want to do this for 60 days and do it again in 60 days for another 60 days, or do you want to solve the problem? That's the first debate. And it really begs the question: Why? Why do we have so many people saying they want to do this for a year and yet they're only willing to vote for 60 days? Are people more interested in making a law that will benefit the American people or are they more interested in making a campaign issue that may benefit their own reelection campaigns? That's the question. The second point of debate is: The American people, many of whom are suffering because of this economy, they're willing to work over the holidays. Are we willing to work over the holidays?…
