Political Quotes

“I come to the floor today to urge my colleagues to support the extension of tax cuts for 98 percent of workers and 97 percent of small business owners. This should be a no-brainer. Democrats do not want taxes on our middle-class families to go up, and Republicans claim they want that too. They also say they want these tax cuts extended. So this should be easy. When 100 Senators agree on a policy, we should be able to pass a bill. But, unfortunately, Republicans are not focused on the 98 percent we agree on. They are preoccupied with the 2 percent we are not. They are prepared to take our country over the edge and into the new year in an effort to prevent millionaires and billionaires from paying a penny more in taxes. Republicans are so opposed to having the wealthy pay the very same rate they were paying during the Clinton years that if they cannot force through more tax cuts for the rich, they would prefer taxes to go up on middle-class families. They want 98 percent of workers to pay the price if millionaires are asked to pay a penny more. This is unbelievable and a deeply cynical position to take. It does not make any sense. We have a fundamental difference of opinion between the two parties about the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that have added trillions of dollars to the deficit and debt. I am not asking Republicans to set aside their values. It is clear they are deeply committed to putting more money into the pockets of the wealthy.…”