[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 148 (Monday, November 26, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6877-S6878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMPROMISE
Mr. REID. Mr. President, in the weeks since our country voted to
return President Obama to the White House and a Democratic majority in
the Senate, I have spoken often about compromise. I remain optimistic
that when it comes to our economy, when it comes to protecting middle-
class families from a whopping tax hike come January 1, Republicans and
Democrats will be able to find common ground.
President Dwight Eisenhower, a Republican, once said:
People talk about the middle of the road as though it were
unacceptable. . . . There have to be compromises. The middle
of the road is all of the usable surface.
So said Dwight Eisenhower. Too often Republicans and Democrats in
Washington face off from our entrenched positions, never realizing the
solutions to this country's problems rest not on one side of the aisle
or the other but somewhere in the middle.
However, as we continue negotiating a responsible path forward, I
remind everyone within the sound of my voice of one fact: This Congress
is already one vote away from avoiding the fiscal cliff for middle-
class families and small businesses. We could solve the greatest
economic emergency facing the Nation today if only the House would
consider the Senate-passed bill freezing tax rates for 98 percent of
American families and 97 percent of small businesses.
As Thomas Jefferson said, ``We should not put off tomorrow what we
can do today.'' Our legislation would give economic certainty to the
middle class, protect important tax deductions for families and
businesses, and restore
[[Page S6878]]
balance by asking the most fortunate among us to pay a little extra to
reduce the debt.
It is also the only bill with a chance of being signed into law by
President Obama. I was dismayed to hear Speaker Boehner once again urge
the Senate to take up the House-passed bill extending more tax breaks
for millionaires and billionaires. The Senate has already considered
that bill. We rejected it on a bipartisan basis.
So for the Speaker to say, bring it up, we already have. It was voted
down in this Congress. The Senate has spoken. President Obama has
spoken. He has promised he will not sign any bill that mortgages our
future to pay for handouts for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.
I only hope the House Republicans have been listening. I also hope my
colleagues, Republican and Democratic Members of the House and the
Senate, used the Thanksgiving break not only to give thanks but also to
reflect on the monumental tasks ahead. I hope they took time to
reflect, too, on the effort it will take to complete these tasks.
As President Eisenhower said, there will have to be compromises, and
seeking the middle of the road is not just acceptable, it is the only
way forward.
Order of Business
Mr. President, let me say a few words about the schedule. Discussions
continue on the Defense authorization bill. I just finished a
conversation with the chairman of the committee, Senator Levin.
Republican Senators have been having disagreements among themselves on
what they want to do on the Defense bill. Thus, while these discussions
are going on, I intend to move to proceed to the Carcieri decision
affecting Native Americans. I will file cloture on the motion to
proceed on the motion to invoke cloture on Wednesday.
Tomorrow, I intend to move to proceed to executive session to
consider the disability treaty. We will seek a reasonable agreement on
amendments to this matter. If on Wednesday cloture is not invoked on
the Carcieri matter, I would intend to figure out some way, with the
help of Senator McCain and others on the other side, to return to the
Defense bill under the tentative agreements we have had on that before.
It is up to Senator Levin and Senator McCain to figure out a way
forward on that. I am willing to work with them as to what is
reasonable this late in the game.
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