[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8310-S8311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CONGRESSIONAL PRIORITIES

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, for the last 2 years, Democratic 
leaders in Washington have spent virtually all of their time ticking 
off items on the liberal wish list while they have had the chance: 
government-run health care, a national energy tax, financial 
regulations, bigger government, bigger deficits, union bailouts, 
government takeovers. So here we are, with just a few weeks left in the 
session, and they are still at it.
  Last month, the American people issued their verdict on the 
Democratic priorities. Democrats have responded by doubling down. For 2 
years, they legislated as if they were not in the middle of a national 
jobs crisis, and now they are legislating as if they do not realize the 
government is about to run out of money and every taxpayer in America 
is about to get slammed with a giant tax hike.
  With just a few weeks to go before the end of the session, Democrats 
continue to place their priorities over the priorities of the American 
people. These are the things Democrats have chosen to do instead of 
preventing a massive tax hike that economists tell us would stifle the 
economy.
  Republicans have pleaded with Democrats to put aside their wish list, 
to focus on the things Americans want us to focus on. They have ignored 
us. The voters repudiated their agenda at the polls. They have ignored 
them. Time is running out, and they are ignoring that.
  The election was a month ago. It is time to get serious. It is time 
to focus on priorities.
  Now, a little while ago, I delivered a letter to Senator Reid signed 
by all 42 Senate Republicans. It says every Republican will vote 
against proceeding to any legislative matter until we have funded the 
government and protected every taxpayer from a tax hike. Basically, 
what it means is, first things first.
  With time running out in this session, we need to focus on these 
critical priorities. As the letter states:

       Our constituents have repeatedly asked us to focus on 
     creating an environment for private-sector job growth; it is 
     time that our constituents' priorities become the Senate's 
     priorities.

  At the moment, every taxpayer in the country stands to get a massive 
tax increase and a cut in pay on December 31. We need to show the 
American people we care more about them and their ability to pay their 
bills than we do about the special interest groups' legislative 
Christmas list. Republicans are united in our opposition to proceeding 
to any of these things until Democrats make the priorities of the 
American people their own.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the letter to Senator 
Reid I just referenced be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                Washington, DC, November 29, 2010.
     Hon. Harry Reid,
     Majority Leader, Capitol Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Leader Reid: The nation's unemployment level, stuck 
     near 10 percent, is unacceptable to Americans. Senate 
     Republicans have been urging Congress to make private-sector 
     job creation a priority all year. President Obama in his 
     first speech after the November election said ``we owe'' it 
     to the American people to ``focus on those issues that affect 
     their jobs.'' He went on to say that Americans ``want jobs to 
     come back faster.'' Our constituents have repeatedly asked us 
     to focus on creating an environment for private-sector job 
     growth; it is time that our constituents' priorities become 
     the Senate's priorities.
       For that reason, we write to inform you that we will not 
     agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any 
     legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the 
     government and we have prevented the tax increase that is 
     currently awaiting all American taxpayers. With little time 
     left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling 
     should be focused on these critical priorities. While there 
     are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the 
     Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters 
     above the critical issues of funding the government and 
     preventing a job-killing tax hike.
       Given our struggling economy, preventing the tax increase 
     and providing economic certainty should be our top priority. 
     Without Congressional action by December 31, all American 
     taxpayers will be hit by an increase in their individual 
     income-tax rates and investment income through the capital 
     gains and dividend rates. If Congress were to adopt the 
     President's tax proposal to prevent the tax increase for only 
     some Americans, small businesses would be targeted with a 
     job-killing tax increase at the worst possible time. 
     Specifically, more than 750,000 small businesses will see a 
     tax increase, which will affect 50 percent of small-business 
     income and nearly 25 percent of the entire workforce. The 
     death tax rate will also climb from zero percent to 55 
     percent, which makes it the top concern for America's small 
     businesses. Republicans and Democrats agree that small 
     businesses create most new jobs, so we ought to be able to 
     agree that raising taxes on small businesses is the wrong 
     remedy in this economy. Finally, Congress still needs to act 
     on the ``tax extenders'' and the alternative minimum tax 
     ``patch,'' all of which expired on December 31, 2009.
       We look forward to continuing to work with you in a 
     constructive manner to keep the government operating and 
     provide the nation's small businesses with economic certainty 
     that the job-killing tax hike will be prevented.
           Sincerely,
         Mitch McConnell, Republican Leader; Jon Kyl, Republican 
           Whip; Robert F. Bennett; Kay Bailey Hutchison; John 
           Barrasso; John Cornyn; David Vitter; Tom Coburn; Pat 
           Roberts; Mike Crapo; James M. Inhofe; Richard G. Lugar; 
           Jim DeMint; John Thune; Lamar Alexander; Jim Bunning; 
           Michael B. Enzi; Saxby Chambliss; John McCain; James E. 
           Risch; Roger F. Wicker; Chuck Grassley; Johnny Isakson; 
           Christopher S. Bond; Judd Gregg; Richard C. Shelby; 
           Orrin G. Hatch; Bob Corker; Susan M. Collins; Richard 
           Burr; George S. LeMieux; Mike Johanns; George V. 
           Voinovich; Lindsey Graham; Jeff Sessions; Scott Brown; 
           John Ensign; Thad Cochran; Sam Brownback; Lisa 
           Murkowski; Olympia J. Snowe.

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.

[[Page S8311]]

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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