[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 187 (Wednesday, December 7, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8381-S8382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            PAYROLL TAX CUT

  Mr. REID. Madam President, the Republicans like to claim they are the 
party of the tax cuts, but as Democrats propose more tax relief--we 
propose it every day for working families--Republicans every day are 
showing their true colors. They only support tax cuts that benefit the 
rich.
  Speaker Boehner and Senator McConnell say they agree with Democrats, 
that we should prevent a $1,000 tax hike on middle-class families. A 
person running for President, Mitt Romney, agrees that we should extend 
the payroll tax cut. The former Speaker who is running for President, 
Newt Gingrich, says we should extend the payroll tax cut. But it has 
become clear that the caucus, led by the Speaker and by the Republican 
leader--that those they lead don't seem to be following them. Tea party 
Republicans oppose our plan to cut taxes for nearly every American 
family. But Republican leaders recognize that taking $1,000 out of 
middle-class pockets during these hard times is political suicide.
  There are papers all over the country, but take this one as an 
example. ``GOP Is Split On Payroll Tax Cut. Objections To Surtax On 
Rich.'' Remember, the surtax is on the second million

[[Page S8382]]

dollars that people make. On the first million dollars, not a penny. On 
the second million dollars, the bill that we are going to vote on--
probably Friday here, maybe Thursday--has a surtax for people's second 
million dollars of income of less than 2 percent.
  The headlines go on to say ``Opposition Could Give Obama a 2012 
Issue.'' Obama doesn't need a 2012 issue. Middle-class Americans do not 
need a tax increase. That is what this is all about.
  It is very clear that there is a bitter division in the House with 
House Republicans. As you know, they were supposed to send us a bill 
today--or was it yesterday? They finally acknowledged late yesterday 
they could not send us anything. They cannot get an agreement even 
among the Republicans. They don't reach out to the Democrats at all. 
They want to do it with a majority of the majority, and they cannot get 
anything done.
  So it seems to me, faced with this rebellion in the two caucuses, 
Republican leaders have two options: They can work with us to forge a 
compromise that will pass or they can move even further to the right to 
appease the tea party, because that is what this is all about. As we 
have seen before, when faced with a choice between the middle class and 
the tea party, Republicans will choose the tea party every time. We 
have seen before, when faced with a choice between the middle class and 
the richest of the rich, the Republicans choose the richest of the 
rich.

                          ____________________