David Obey: “I find it ironic to consider how this bill has been handled today. We started out to deal with this bill this morning to…”

“I find it ironic to consider how this bill has been handled today. We started out to deal with this bill this morning to try to provide Federal funding for education and health and job training programs. And then this bill was knocked off the floor for 2 hours while the majority party brought to the floor the rule that will allow them to consider their tax bill tomorrow. Their tax bill tomorrow will effectively eliminate the estate tax. In some cases that may be justified. But the way they brought it to the floor means that there will be some people who strike it rich, make huge amounts of money and are never taxed once on any of that money, while working people are taxed on every dollar they earn in the workplace every day. The eventual revenue lost to the treasury will be about $50 billion a year that will go into the pockets of Mr. Money Bags in this society. That is enough to provide health coverage for every single American who does not have it. But when you raise that possibility, they say, 'Oh, no, socialized medicine.' And so forget it, we will not try that. 'At least,' we say, 'what about the poorest wretches on this planet?' Will you give them something other than a few conscience pennies, the way John D. Rockefeller used to give kids dimes? Will you do something real that improves their lives and protects the working standards and the living standards of American wage earners at the same time?”