[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 160 (Thursday, October 2, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PATRICK J. MURPHY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 2, 2008

  Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
join thousands of families in my district who are struggling in this 
economy and frustrated at how this Congress is handling this rescue 
package.
  A few days ago I stood shoulder to shoulder with Democrats and 
Republicans in this chamber and the families and businesses in my 
community to try and prevent an economic disaster.
  While the bill we considered on Monday and the one we are voting on 
again is neither perfect nor popular, we have to do something on behalf 
of our Nation and its citizens. We have to fight for the families now 
at risk of losing their homes, the seniors who could lose their 
pensions and the students who are losing their shot at a college 
education.
  Madam Speaker, I hope that our chamber can change the Senate's bill 
so that it does not include extraneous provisions that are unrelated to 
rescuing our economy.
  We worked through the weekend last week and I am willing to do it 
again. We have the opportunity to do this right.
  I believe this bill will ultimately protect middle class families, 
seniors on fixed incomes and students who want to go to college. I 
believe it also provides property tax relief, incentives for 
alternative energy and help for small businesses to create jobs.
  These are provisions that will help families back at home and put our 
economy back on track.
  On Monday we were derailed by too much bitter partisanship and the 
Senate's decision to tack on tax cuts for things like wood arrows, rum 
and race tracks will only make it harder to achieve the unity we need 
to help this great country.
  I am for tax cuts--and have cosponsored more than two dozen in the 
last 22 months, but as I have said before, unrelated spending has no 
place in emergency legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the leadership of this House to strip the 
unnecessary provisions, pass this bill and send it back to the Senate 
with a message: we cannot afford to wait to do what's right.

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