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SENATE—Wednesday, February 1, 2012

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SENATE—Wednesday, February 1, 2012 552 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 158, Pt. 1 February 1, 2012 SENATE—Wednesday, February 1, 2012 The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was understand, we have a new sheriff in they were paid for—borrowed money, called to order by the Honorable RICH- the Senate now. And we wish Elizabeth money borrowed from American tax- ARD J. DURBIN, a Senator from the MacDonough well. She is certainly well payers. Trillions of dollars. In fact, State of Illinois. qualified for this job. She has proven President Bush’s tax cuts were the sin- that in the decade she has been here, gle largest contributor to the bal- PRAYER her fairness and astuteness of Senate looning budget deficits during his ad- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- rules. Let everyone understand that a ministration. There were plenty of oth- fered the following prayer: new boss is in the Senate now. ers, but that was No. 1. And no one ben- Let us pray. This morning, following any leader efited from these tax breaks more than Lord, the Earth belongs to You, the remarks, the Senate will be in a period billionaires and millionaires. Tax world and everything in it. You are an of morning business for 1 hour. The Re- breaks for the richest Americans piled awesome and majestic God. When we publicans will control the first half and nearly $1 trillion on our debt over the have anxieties about what the future the majority will control the final half. last decade. The tax bill was far more holds, remind us that the hearts of Following morning business, we will than that, but that is just people mak- Kings, Queens, and Presidents are in resume consideration of the STOCK ing more than $1 million a year. Your hands and You guide them wher- Act. Yesterday the nonpartisan Congres- ever You please. You are sovereign. THE STOCK ACT sional Budget Office released a report Today, bless our lawmakers. Give Mr. President, it is my understanding showing that these tax cuts will con- them a positive attitude regarding the that the Republicans are going to have tinue to push deficits to unsafe levels. challenges they face. Lord, help them a luncheon today. I hope they discuss We know that, but in addition to doing believe that You guard this Nation and what they want to do here on the Sen- that, what it does is it makes the poor will empower them with exactly what ate floor. Last night we had a situation poorer, the rich richer, and squeezes they need to lead with excellence. where two of our fine Senators, Mr. the middle class every day. Extending We pray in Your great Name. Amen. LIEBERMAN and Ms. COLLINS, who have the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest a reputation of being fair and bipar- f Americans—people making more than tisan, did their best to work through $1 million a year—would add another $1 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE some amendments, to set up votes on trillion to the deficit over the next dec- The Honorable RICHARD J. DURBIN led them, and they couldn’t do it because ade. We can no longer afford to bank- the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: we had Senators who offered amend- rupt our Nation to give more tax I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the ments that had nothing to do with this breaks to people who do not need them. United States of America, and to the Repub- bill—nothing. But Republican Senators People are putting up accounts in the lic for which it stands, one nation under God, said they would not allow a vote on Cayman Islands, stashing money in indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. germane and relevant amendments Switzerland. until they were guaranteed a vote on f Republicans are right about one their nongermane amendments. So APPOINTMENT OF ACTING thing: We do have a deficit problem in that is not a good situation, and we PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE this country. And there are two ways cannot legislate in that fashion. It is to ease this crisis. We could cut more The PRESIDING OFFICER. The one thing to offer an amendment that jobs for teachers, firefighters, police, clerk will please read a communication is not germane, but to demand a vote and Federal employees. We could cut to the Senate from the President pro on it out of order before any other Social Security and Medicare benefits tempore (Mr. INOUYE). amendments? So the minority has to for seniors after a lifetime of hard The assistant legislative clerk read make a decision whether they want to work. We could put off repairing our the following letter: legislate or have people give speeches crumbling roads, bridges, and schools. U.S. SENATE, all day that have nothing to do with We could continue to let our schools PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, the legislation. Washington, DC, February 1, 2012. I hope the leadership and the Sen- fall into disrepair and our students fall To the Senate: ators generally on the other side of the further behind. We could continue talk- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, aisle will work together to help us ing about what really does not matter. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby move this piece of legislation out of The House keeps talking about bills appoint the Honorable RICHARD J. DURBIN, a here. It is an important piece of legis- they have passed that create jobs. Ev- Senator from the State of Illinois, to per- eryone, every pundit who has looked at form the duties of the Chair. lation. We were told it is bipartisan. DANIEL K. INOUYE, Only two Senators voted against those knows it is just a subterfuge. President pro tempore. breaking the filibusters so we could They want to cut regulations, and that Mr. DURBIN thereupon assumed the start debating this bill. would make people sicker, that would make our air dirtier and our water less chair as Acting President pro tempore. SPENDING pure and our food less safe. That is f The Republicans in Congress often claim they are the only thing standing what they are doing to create jobs. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY against a wave of deficit spending. But The other way to cut spending would LEADER where were these Republicans when be to take care of those unnecessary The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- President Bush pushed for trillions in tax breaks for millionaires and billion- pore. The majority leader is recog- unpaid tax cuts for the rich? Where aires. nized. were they? They were right here in So this is the choice we face: cutting f Congress, that is where. So instead of the heart out of America or having the pointing the finger at us, Republicans richest of the rich contribute just a lit- SCHEDULE should examine their own track record tle bit to the problems we have in ELIZABETH MACDONOUGH of extravagant spending: a prescription America today as it relates to spend- Mr. REID. Mr. President, as the Pre- drug plan, unpaid for; two unpaid wars; ing. The choice we face should not be a siding Officer and all Senators should tax breaks for the rich, unpaid for. And very difficult choice. ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:06 Feb 23, 2017 Jkt 019102 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR12\S01FE2.000 S01FE2 rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD February 1, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 158, Pt. 1 553 This country has limited resources, CLASS Act was indeed unsustainable. commonsense reform that the Amer- and we must use those resources wise- As HHS Secretary Sebelius put it, ican people want, repealing the CLASS ly. Investing in the middle class is a there is no viable path forward for the Act is a good place to start. As the wise use of those resources. When you program. Yet for some reason the House is showing today, if the Presi- put money back in the pockets of the President is unwilling to follow dent refuses to act on this important middle class, they spend it. They spend through on that conclusion by his own issue, Congress will. it on groceries and gas and buying new administration. He opposes today’s I yield the floor. cars, paying their mortgages, paying vote over in the House. f Most people would conclude that the their rent, maybe repairing their fam- MORNING BUSINESS ily car, or spending it to fix the roof on administration would support repeal- their house that has become dilapi- ing a portion of the health care bill The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- dated. That spending boosts business, that they now acknowledge is not fi- pore. Under the previous order, there spurs hiring, and helps the economy. nancially viable, but they would be will now be a period of morning busi- Rigging the tax system to favor the wrong. Despite admitting this program ness, with Senators permitted to speak richest of the rich does not do that. is doomed to fail, the Obama adminis- therein for up to 10 minutes each, with Rigging the system does not create tration refuses to take it off the books. time divided equally between the two jobs. It does not spur growth. It is not This refusal is all the more remarkable leaders or their designees, with the Re- publicans controlling the first half and a wise use of our resources.
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