Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 111 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 111 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 156 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 No. 157 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was Mr. MERKLEY thereupon assumed during the last years of the Bush ad- called to order by the Honorable JEFF the chair as Acting President pro tem- ministration, when those tax cuts were MERKLEY, a Senator from the State of pore. in effect, we lost 8 million jobs. They Oregon. f can pretend we can afford to give bil- lionaires another handout, even though PRAYER RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY we know we can’t. But no matter how The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- LEADER many times you pretend, it doesn’t fered the following prayer: The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- make it true. The truth is simple: Let us pray. pore. The majority leader is recog- Holding middle-class tax cuts hostage O God of time and eternity, use our nized. for tax breaks for the wealthy that lawmakers today as instruments of f they don’t need and we cannot afford is Your will. Give them the wisdom to irresponsible. turn from every thought, word, and SCHEDULE A lot has been written about the let- deed that weakens instead of strength- Mr. REID. Following leader remarks, ter that 42 Republican Senators sent ens. Lord, help them to desire to be there will be a period of morning busi- me a couple days ago. Maybe it is news people of integrity, individually and ness, with Senators allowed to speak that they put it in writing, but that is corporately. May this be a day when for up to 10 minutes each. all that is new about it because, as the our Senators serve You with gladness Last night, I filed cloture motions on Presiding Officer knows, everything we because Your joy has filled their two tax cut amendments. Those votes have tried to do legislatively this year hearts. are expected to occur tomorrow. Sen- has been stymied, stopped with filibus- Lord, all nations are Yours. Help us ators will be notified when those votes ters, well more than 100. Republicans have been holding good legislation hos- to trust You to rule our world. are scheduled. I have not had the op- tage for 4 years—important bills, non- We pray in Your sovereign Name. portunity to meet today with the Re- controversial bills, every bill. That is Amen. publican leader. We will try to set up why we have a lameduck session with f those votes at a convenient time to- such a long to-do list. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE morrow, as convenient as possible. Interestingly, I heard one Republican The Honorable JEFF MERKLEY led the f Senator, my friend, the senior Senator Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUTS from Tennessee, say: The majority I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the leader fills the tree. They have had lots Mr. REID. Mr. President, I had hoped of opportunities to offer amendments. United States of America, and to the Repub- we would be able to come to agreement lic for which it stands, one nation under God, The problem is, it is not the offering of indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. with Republicans to hold votes today amendments. We will allow them to to protect middle-class families. But f offer amendments, but they are not the Republican caucus would not agree, satisfied with that. They want the re- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING so we will have a series of votes tomor- sults. They are not willing to offer an PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE row on the tax rates set to expire at amendment they may lose. They are The PRESIDING OFFICER. The the end of this month. only willing to offer amendments they clerk will please read a communication Democrats’ priorities are clear. We want to win. If they don’t win them, to the Senate from the President pro are protecting middle-class families then they stop everything. That isn’t tempore (Mr. INOUYE). every way we can. Tomorrow’s votes the way it has been done around here, The assistant legislative clerk read will show where Republican priorities and it should not be done in the future the following letter: are and where ours are. Those votes that way. U.S. SENATE, will clearly demonstrate who supports Since they sent me that letter, a lot PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, the middle class, and that includes of focus has been on the political im- Washington, DC, December 3, 2010. every Senator. pact of this game. I am more interested To the Senate: The minority can spin any way they in the impact on the people I represent Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, want what has taken place over the than the political games being played. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby last 24 hours. They can pretend giving When Republicans take their ball and appoint the Honorable JEFF MERKLEY, a Sen- ator from the State of Oregon, to perform the rich tax breaks creates jobs, even go home, here is what happens: More the duties of the Chair. though we know from the past decade than 83,000 Nevadans who are jobless DANIEL K. INOUYE, that it does not. If that were the case, and looking for work will lose their un- President pro tempore. the economy would be booming, except employment insurance over the next ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S8445 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:18 Dec 04, 2010 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A03DE6.000 S03DEPT1 tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with SENATE S8446 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 3, 2010 year. The Council of Economic Advis- there will be no rollcall votes today. thing to do. Let’s not allow tax cuts for ers predicted that will cost the country We are still working on what time it middle-class Americans to be held hos- 600,000 jobs. will be tomorrow. But we, as everyone tage to partisan wrangling about tax What else happens? A treaty that knows and I have said here—this is the cuts for those who make the very most. will make Americans safer goes no- third time—we were within inches of So how did we come to this choice? where, a treaty supported by the entire having something worked out on hav- Let me take a few moments to review military leadership and endorsed yes- ing votes today, but for reasons I do how we got here. terday by the Secretaries of State of not fully understand, the Republicans In 2001, Congress enacted legislation the last five Republican Presidents. did not agree to that at the last to let American families keep more of Without the START treaty, there are minute, and now we have to figure out their money. Many of these tax incen- more nuclear weapons than there what time we are going to vote tomor- tives were phased in over several years. should be, we know less about the Rus- row. If we cannot work it out by con- In 2003, Congress enacted legislation sian nuclear arsenal than we need to, sent, then, of course, we will do it 1 adding new tax incentives and speeding and Americans are less safe. hour after we come in, which is the up implementation of the 2001 law. Here is one more consequence of the rule. We have competing interests. We The 2001 and 2003 tax laws lowered Republican ultimatum: Thousands of have people who want it late tomor- tax rates for all taxpayers, and those first responders who rushed to Ground row. We have people who want it early laws provided much needed tax relief Zero on 9/11 got terribly sick from the tomorrow. So we will try to see what for families, education, and small busi- toxins there. The longer Republicans we can do to work through that. ness. Many of these tax provisions have stall, the longer these heroes have to Again, I appreciate my good friend broad support across the political spec- wait for the health care and compensa- for yielding. trum. But these tax benefits are not tion they deserve. Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I thank permanent. Beginning on January 1, all Why are tens of thousands of unem- the leader for all his very hard work. these 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire, even ployed Nevadans at risk of losing their Nobody is working harder than the those for Americans who need them the lifeline? Why is Nevada at risk of los- leader to try to work out the schedule most. ing jobs when we are desperate to cre- so we can address these issues, and we At the same time, the Federal debt is ate them? Why is the START treaty all thank him. at its highest level since shortly after stalled? Why are the 9/11 heroes still f World War II, and our fiscal challenges sick with nowhere to turn? Each of MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUTS are growing with the retirement of the baby boom generation. The amendment these questions has the same answer— Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, the we consider today responds to both because Republican Senators want to textbook definition of ‘‘economics’’ is these challenges. give their richest friends a tax break about scarcity.