[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 183 (Thursday, December 1, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H8001]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            BUDGET GRIDLOCK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McNerney) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the budget gridlock 
that's ripping Washington apart. Like every American who cares about 
the future of our great country, I'm upset by the rampant partisan 
fighting. But I also know that the responsibility is not equally 
shared. For proof, look no further than the collapse of the deficit 
supercommittee.
  Washington Republicans' refusal to ask the wealthiest people and the 
biggest corporations to contribute their fair share caused the 
supercommittee's failure and is putting our country at risk. Middle 
class families are struggling, but the world's biggest corporations 
make huge profits and exploit tax loopholes to send jobs overseas. And 
the rich keep getting richer but are contributing less.
  This inequality is unacceptable, and it hurts America's economy. For 
instance, the after-tax income of the top 1 percent rose 281 percent 
from 1979 to 2007, but their total average Federal tax rate fell by 
nearly 8 points. Unfortunately, Washington Republicans have made clear 
that they will not fix the injustices in our Tax Code.
  In fact, 238 Members of the House and 41 Senators, almost all of them 
Republicans, have signed the infamous Americans for Tax Reform pledge. 
This pledge commits its signers to oppose any plan, no matter how 
responsible, that would ask the wealthiest people to contribute their 
fair share. Whether motivated by extremist ideology or commitments to 
greedy special interests, the facts are clear: Republicans who signed 
this pledge cannot take the steps our country needs to get our budget 
in order.
  Republicans came to power on a mission to rein in the budget deficit, 
a goal that we all support. But instead of supporting balanced 
policies, Washington Republicans forced the Congress to pass a 
dangerous budget agreement. And thanks to them, our hands are tied. If 
Washington Republicans keep refusing to compromise, massive cuts will 
kick in that will harm the middle class.
  Washington Republicans won't negotiate and won't come up with a fair 
budget plan. Instead of helping the middle class, Republicans are 
standing up for the megarich.
  According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the plan put 
forward by Republicans on the deficit supercommittee shifts even more 
of the tax burden from the rich to the middle class. Their plan would 
change the tax tables in a way that benefits the wealthiest households 
more than the rest of us, which is what the chart next to me shows. As 
your income grows, so do your benefits. The wealthiest households will 
get more and more benefit, and their proposal dramatically weakens a 
variety of tax policies that help the middle class. I can't support a 
plan like that, and the American people can't either.
  Democrats and Republicans should be working together on fair 
solutions, but the Republicans' unwillingness to compromise is making 
this goal impossible. We can find solutions that will reduce the debt 
and keep taxes low for small businesses and middle class families, but 
only if the Republicans stop protecting tax breaks for the superrich.
  When I took my oath of office, I pledged to protect and defend the 
Constitution, and I am committed to helping the middle class getting 
our economy back on track.
  Democrats have demonstrated a willingness to talk about difficult 
subjects like entitlement reform, but Republicans refuse to negotiate. 
So I ask my Republican colleagues, especially those who have signed the 
ATR pledge, a simple question: Where do your loyalties lie? With the 
superrich and the special interests or with the hardworking Americans?

                          ____________________