[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 190 (Monday, December 12, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8469-S8470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       PAYROLL TAX CUT EXTENSION

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, also under partisan assault this month is a 
Democratic proposal to grant a $1,000-tax decrease on working families.
  Senate Republicans have blocked four proposals to protect middle-
class pocketbooks. Every hour they delay and every day they filibuster 
is one more the Senate, by necessity, will have to stay in Washington 
to get its work done.

[[Page S8470]]

  Republicans have opposed our plan to pay for this legislation with a 
tiny surtax on a tiny fraction of America's highest earners. The tax 
would only apply to the second or third or fourth million the 
wealthiest Americans make. But Republicans say the richest of the rich 
in our country--even those who make millions every year--shouldn't 
contribute more to get our economy back on track. They call our plan, 
time after time, a tax on job creators--and I say so-called job 
creators--because every shred of evidence contradicts this red herring.
  For example, there have been many outlets, but I will concentrate on 
one: National Public Radio went looking for one of these fictitious 
millionaire job creators. A reporter reached out to business groups, 
the antitax lobby, and Republicans in Congress hoping to interview one 
of these millionaires. Days ticked by with no luck. Many of our job 
creators are similar to unicorns; they are impossible to find and don't 
exist. That is because only a tiny fraction of people making more than 
$1 million--probably less than 1 percent--are actually small business 
owners, and only a tiny fraction of that tiny fraction is a traditional 
job creator. Most of these businesses are hedge fund managers or 
wealthy lawyers. They don't do much hiring and they don't need more tax 
breaks.
  One reporter looked for millionaire job creators hiding on Facebook. 
This time they found a few, and they actually supported our plan. These 
people on Facebook actually supported our plan to ask the richest of 
the rich to pitch in to improve the economy for all Americans. This is 
what Jason Burger, owner of a contracting company that is hiring like 
crazy, said:

       It's only fair that I put back into the system. That is the 
     entire reason for my success.

  Mr. Burger may be a millionaire, but he is not one in a million. The 
majority of people who make more than $1 million a year say they would 
gladly contribute more to improve the economy.
  It is often said that what is good for business is good for America. 
I hope my Republican colleagues will remember, as Mr. Burger does, what 
is good for America is also good for business.

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