Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 112 CONGRESS, FIRST 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 112 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 157 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011 No. 183 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was gest corporations to contribute their supercommittee shifts even more of called to order by the Speaker pro tem- fair share caused the supercommittee’s the tax burden from the rich to the pore (Mr. WEST). failure and is putting our country at middle class. Their plan would change f risk. Middle class families are strug- the tax tables in a way that benefits gling, but the world’s biggest corpora- the wealthiest households more than DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO tions make huge profits and exploit tax the rest of us, which is what the chart TEMPORE loopholes to send jobs overseas. And next to me shows. As your income The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- the rich keep getting richer but are grows, so do your benefits. The fore the House the following commu- contributing less. wealthiest households will get more nication from the Speaker: This inequality is unacceptable, and and more benefit, and their proposal WASHINGTON, DC, it hurts America’s economy. For in- dramatically weakens a variety of tax December 1, 2011. stance, the after-tax income of the top policies that help the middle class. I I hereby appoint the Honorable ALLEN B. 1 percent rose 281 percent from 1979 to can’t support a plan like that, and the WEST to act as Speaker pro tempore on this 2007, but their total average Federal American people can’t either. day. tax rate fell by nearly 8 points. Unfor- Democrats and Republicans should be JOHN A. BOEHNER, Speaker of the House of Representatives. tunately, Washington Republicans working together on fair solutions, but have made clear that they will not fix the Republicans’ unwillingness to com- f the injustices in our Tax Code. promise is making this goal impos- MORNING-HOUR DEBATE In fact, 238 Members of the House and sible. We can find solutions that will The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- 41 Senators, almost all of them Repub- reduce the debt and keep taxes low for ant to the order of the House of Janu- licans, have signed the infamous Amer- small businesses and middle class fami- ary 5, 2011, the Chair will now recog- icans for Tax Reform pledge. This lies, but only if the Republicans stop nize Members from lists submitted by pledge commits its signers to oppose protecting tax breaks for the superrich. the majority and minority leaders for any plan, no matter how responsible, When I took my oath of office, I morning-hour debate. that would ask the wealthiest people to pledged to protect and defend the Con- The Chair will alternate recognition contribute their fair share. Whether stitution, and I am committed to help- between the parties, with each party motivated by extremist ideology or ing the middle class getting our econ- limited to 1 hour and each Member commitments to greedy special inter- omy back on track. other than the majority and minority ests, the facts are clear: Republicans Democrats have demonstrated a will- leaders and the minority whip limited who signed this pledge cannot take the ingness to talk about difficult subjects to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall steps our country needs to get our like entitlement reform, but Repub- debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. budget in order. licans refuse to negotiate. So I ask my f Republicans came to power on a mis- Republican colleagues, especially those sion to rein in the budget deficit, a who have signed the ATR pledge, a BUDGET GRIDLOCK goal that we all support. But instead of simple question: Where do your loyal- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The supporting balanced policies, Wash- ties lie? With the superrich and the Chair recognizes the gentleman from ington Republicans forced the Congress special interests or with the hard- California (Mr. MCNERNEY) for 5 min- to pass a dangerous budget agreement. working Americans? utes. And thanks to them, our hands are f Mr. MCNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise tied. If Washington Republicans keep to address the budget gridlock that’s refusing to compromise, massive cuts LARRY MUNSON ripping Washington apart. Like every will kick in that will harm the middle The SPEAKER pro tempore. The American who cares about the future class. Chair recognizes the gentleman from of our great country, I’m upset by the Washington Republicans won’t nego- Georgia (Mr. BROUN) for 5 minutes. rampant partisan fighting. But I also tiate and won’t come up with a fair Mr. BROUN of Georgia. He turned know that the responsibility is not budget plan. Instead of helping the Georgia football games into larger- equally shared. For proof, look no fur- middle class, Republicans are standing than-life experiences. He awakened ex- ther than the collapse of the deficit up for the megarich. citement and pinpointed fear in the supercommittee. According to the Center on Budget depths of Dawg fans’ souls and shouted Washington Republicans’ refusal to and Policy Priorities, the plan put for- out those emotions on radios state- ask the wealthiest people and the big- ward by Republicans on the deficit wide. His voice will go down in history b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H8001 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:23 Dec 02, 2011 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01DE7.000 H01DEPT1 pwalker on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H8002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 1, 2011 as the soundtrack of some of the most creation. Americans out of work have YUCCA MOUNTAIN: HIGH-LEVEL famous play calls, highlight reels, and been doing their part to find jobs. Con- NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE moments for UGA that will simply gress must do its part as well. Some The SPEAKER pro tempore. The never be forgotten. Republicans have unfairly and incor- Chair recognizes the gentleman from Whether it was his describing the rectly blamed those who have been laid Illinois (Mr. SHIMKUS) for 5 minutes. ‘‘sugar’’ falling out of the sky, or beg- off for their continued difficulty in Mr. SHIMKUS. It’s always great to ging the Dawgs to hunker down one finding jobs. However, there are over follow the highly respected minority more last time, Larry Munson had an four people looking for every one job whip, and he is highly respected. unmatched ability to find words for that is available. At the same time, I would say that there are a lot of feelings that just could not be spoken. there are nearly 7 million fewer jobs pressing problems in this country. To call him an iconic play-by-play an- today than there were in 2007. There is one I’ll speak about today, and nouncer for the University of Georgia that’s the high-level nuclear waste football team would be a vast under- Instead of blaming the victims, we ought to work together, Democrats and storage throughout this country. I statement. He was a classic city treas- would also say to my friend that part ure, an Athens legend. And for 42 years, Republicans, to find solutions. Con- gress has never allowed emergency un- of the jobs bill has been passed. We Larry Munson breathed life into the passed the free trade agreement; we Sanford Stadium and made the Dawgs employment benefits to lapse with our jobless rate anywhere close to where it passed the veterans benefit portion; we dance. passed the 3 percent withholding. So He was different from all other is today. If it did, over 17,000 people in there has been movement in a bipar- sportscasters. Larry Munson was very my State of Maryland would see their authentic. He always told it like it lifeline cut off by February. In Ohio, tisan manner on some provisions in the was, even when he had given up on a Speaker BOEHNER’s State, 80,000 people bill. So now, Mr. Speaker, let me segue to red and black win. He didn’t care about are at risk. an issue for which I’ve come to the political correctness, and he wasn’t Among African Americans, Latinos floor now six times, that of going afraid to scream about stepping on and other minorities, a dispropor- Tennessee’s face with a hobnailed boot throughout the country and high- tionate number have been affected by lighting where high-level nuclear waste or breaking his chair—his metal, steel long-term unemployment and are espe- chair with a five-inch cushion—when is stored throughout this country. cially vulnerable if these benefits were Today, we’ll travel to the State of Georgia beat Florida in 1980 and then to end. Every State would see more went on to win the national champion- Massachusetts, right on Cape Cod Bay Americans who are out of work slip where the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant ship. He loved Georgia football, and into poverty. Local communities would Georgia football loved Larry Munson sits. Again, it’s right on Cape Cod Bay. be affected, too, with residual job At Pilgrim, there are over 2,918 spent- just right back. losses. The Economic Policy Institute His memory will live on forever in fuel assemblies on site.