Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 No. 127 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable KIRSTEN E. GILLI- have discussed the rest of the week and called to order by the Honorable BRAND, a Senator from the State of New next week, perhaps, and we are trying KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, a Senator from York, to perform the duties of the Chair. to move forward and get this done. We the State of New York. DANIEL K. INOUYE, have certain things we have to get President pro tempore. done, but there is nothing—nothing— PRAYER Mrs. GILLIBRAND thereupon as- more important than getting the fund- sumed the chair as Acting President The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- ing for the country. I appreciate the pro tempore. fered the following prayer: House sending it to us in the fashion Let us pray. f they did. So I think it behooves us to Eternal Lord God, we praise You for RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY get this done as quickly as possible. surrounding us with the shield of Your LEADER MEASURE PLACED ON THE CALENDAR—H.R. 5949 Mr. REID. Madam President, I am salvation. When we cry to You for help, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- told H.R. 5949 is at the desk and due for You are always near, ever ready to pore. The majority leader is recog- a second reading. comfort and cheer. When we remember nized. what You have already done to bless The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- f our Nation and our lives, we can only pore. The clerk will read the bill by declare, ‘‘Great is Your faithfulness.’’ FAMILY AND BUSINESS TAX CUT title for the second time. As our Senators strive today to do CERTAINTY ACT OF 2012—MOTION The legislative clerk read as follows: Your will, remind them that Your love TO PROCEED A bill (H.R. 5949) to extend the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 for five years. has no limits, Your hope has no restric- Mr. REID. I now move to proceed to Mr. REID. I object to any further tions, and Your power has no end. Calendar No. 499, S. 3521, which is the Guide them as they seek to discern proceedings. tax extenders legislation reported out The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- what is best for our Nation and to cou- of the Finance Committee previously. pore. Objection is heard. The bill will rageously vote their convictions. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- be placed on the calendar. We pray in Your wonderful Name. pore. The clerk will report the motion THE OTHER 47 PERCENT Amen. to proceed. The legislative clerk read as follows: Mr. REID. Madam President, for f months I believed Mitt Romney wanted Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 499, S. to be President of all of the United PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3521, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provi- States. This week we learned Mitt The Honorable KIRSTEN E. GILLI- sions. Romney only wants to be President of BRAND led the Pledge of Allegiance as SCHEDULE half the United States. follows: If Mitt Romney were President, he Mr. REID. Madam President, fol- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the wouldn’t waste time worrying about lowing my remarks and those of my United States of America and to the Repub- the 47 percent of Americans whom he distinguished friend, the Republican lic for which it stands, one nation under God, believes are ‘‘victims’’—whom Romney leader, the Senate will resume consid- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. believes are unwilling to take ‘‘per- eration of S. 3457, the Veterans Jobs f sonal responsibility,’’ and those are his Corps Act. The time until noon will be words, not mine. He can only worry APPOINTMENT OF ACTING equally divided on that matter. At about how the other half lives, I guess. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE noon there will be a rollcall vote on the That is what Mitt Romney told donors motion to waive the Budget Act with The PRESIDING OFFICER. The at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida a respect to the Veterans Jobs Corps bill. clerk will please read a communication month or so ago. to the Senate from the President pro The Senate will then recess until 2:15 But it turns out it wasn’t closed. for our weekly caucus meetings. tempore (Mr. INOUYE). Someone videotaped every word he said At 2:15, there will be a cloture vote The legislative clerk read the fol- to his wealthy donors. This is, among on the motion to proceed to the con- lowing letter: other things, what he said: tinuing resolution. There could be ad- U.S. SENATE, There are 47 percent who . are depend- ditional votes with respect to the Vet- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, ent upon government, who believe that they Washington, DC, September 19, 2012. erans Jobs Corps Act this afternoon or are victims, who believe that government To the Senate: subsequent to a vote at noon. has a responsibility to care for them, who be- Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, The Republican leader and I have had lieve that they are entitled to health care, to of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby a conversation this morning where we food, to housing, to you name it. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S6393 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:17 Sep 20, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A19SE6.000 S19SEPT1 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with SENATE S6394 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 19, 2012 Mitt Romney said his job as Presi- ney raise taxes on students stretching Her father Aung San, the architect of dent would not be ‘‘to worry about every dollar to afford tuition? Would Burmese independence, was assas- those people.’’ But half of Americans Romney raise taxes on men and women sinated when she was a toddler. She are ‘‘those people.’’ serving overseas in the military who lived in India for a time, worked at the He went on to say: ‘‘I’ll never con- make untold sacrifices to preserve U.N. here in the United States, and vince them’’—this is a direct quote— America’s freedom and democracy not eventually married and settled into a ‘‘they should take personal responsi- because they are getting rich doing it happy and comfortable life with her bility and care for their lives.’’ but out of a deep sense of duty? professor husband and two boys in Ox- So who are those Americans Mitt So whose taxes would Mitt Romney ford, England. Romney disdains as ‘‘victims’’ and raise? We know he wouldn’t raise taxes That quiet, suburban life changed ‘‘those people’’? They are not avoiding on millionaires and billionaires or forever one night in the spring of 1988. their tax bills, using Cayman Islands companies that ship jobs overseas. He She got a phone call that her mother tax shelters or Swiss bank accounts has made that very clear. If a person is had fallen ill back in Burma. She left like Mitt Romney. Millions of the 47 a math teacher or a maid or a single to take care of her the following day percent are seniors on Social Security mother, it won’t be Mitt Romney’s job and arrived to find a revolution already who don’t have Bain Capital retire- to worry about those people. If a per- underway. ment funds or inherited stock to fall son is a multimillionaire, Mitt Romney As her father’s daughter, Suu Kyi back on. Many of the 47 percent are won’t rest until they get a quarter of a was regarded as a natural fit to fill the students reaching to afford university million dollar tax cut. That is what the role. tuition so they can become nurses or Ryan budget does and Romney likes Years earlier, Suu Kyi had a pre- teachers or attend a community col- that. monition that her people might need lege to become an electrician or welder For all we know, Mitt Romney could her one day, so much so that when her or a lab technician. Some of the 47 per- be one of those who has paid no Federal husband proposed marriage, she agreed, cent have disabilities whose challenges income tax. Thousands of families but on the one condition that if her are already a full-time job, but still are making more than $1 million pay noth- people ever needed her, she could go. actively seeking opportunities in their ing in Federal income taxes each year. He agreed without hesitation. More lives. Millions more of this 47 percent I will repeat that. Thousands of fami- than two decades later, he made good have been unemployed since the great lies making more than $1 million a on his pledge. recession—not because they are free- year pay nothing in Federal income With Suu Kyi under house arrest in loaders or can’t be bothered to get a taxes. Is Mitt Romney among those? Burma, her husband fell ill with cancer job but because some private equity We will never know since he refuses to back in England. She knew she would funds closed their factory and shipped release his tax returns for the years be- be allowed to leave, but she also knew their jobs off to China.