Adam Smith: “As my colleagues know, it does not surprise me that the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] does not believe this is a…”

“As my colleagues know, it does not surprise me that the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] does not believe this is a time for a family tax cut. Until 6 months ago, I was not planning to come here. I was a write-in candidate, and I was sent by a blue collar Democrat district who said, ``We have had it with Congress. We're going to replace the person who is here who has never seen a tax cut she liked either,'' and they replaced her with me after I had passed a measure in our State that said no more tax increases without a toll of the people, after we had put our State on a budget of no larger budget increases than population and inflation. And guess what? They sent us a message, and they sent us a message because my colleagues who were here on the Democrat side have never in 42 years of being in control seen a middle-class tax cut that you liked. Let me tell you my other profession, and I do believe politics can be a good profession, we can make it that, my other one, though, is preparing tax returns and helping people with their tax planning.”