[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 19399-19400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        A REASONED CONVERSATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, let me thank 
you for your leadership. I think it is important to always engage our 
colleagues in reasoned conversation.
  Before I begin a reasoned conversation and asking of the hard 
questions, let me, first of all, add my appreciation to this bipartisan 
House that saw fit to create opportunities for young, working 
Americans, and that is by passage of the DREAM Act.
  And the only sentence I want to leave with you, beyond the idea of 
equality and justice, which many times we take lightly, we use it 
often, but it is very real. It is why so many Americans pledge 
allegiance to the flag and have an abiding faith and love in this 
country.
  But also, this is an economic engine of investment for those young 
people who have come to this country, and perpetrated no criminal act 
of their own, and now will be able to work and contribute to society, 
serve us in the United States military, perpetuate community service 
and generally, as we always ask of our young people, to be the kind of 
citizens that make this country great. Thank you for passing the DREAM 
Act.
  Now we'll have many months to come to renew the effort that I had in 
Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act, that includes border 
security and reinforcement of the men and women in Border Patrol and as 
well, Customs and Border Protection, combined agencies now, but as 
well, new technology and working to secure America as we should. And so 
I look forward to that journey again.
  However, there are other issues that I believe are enormously 
important, and many of us have engaged in what has been known to be the 
providing for middle class, middle-income tax cuts or relief, is what I 
like to call it. And

[[Page 19400]]

I believe that there is some value to one's values.
  So let me just say to my colleagues and through them, those who they 
represent, the American people, who are, in fact, our bosses, this is 
not a class warfare. This is not ``dissing'' one particular group, but 
it is holding true to what you have asked us to do, bar any political 
party, and that is to reduce the deficit.
  So, my friends, a middle-income tax relief that would include, if you 
will, a child tax credit, that would include an idea of ensuring that 
the working Americans who are now, unfortunately, unemployed will have 
unemployment insurance, that would further include those who have run 
up against a brick wall, the ``99ers'' as they call them, don't have 
any more resources but still have mortgages and food to pay for and 
bills to pay, and they want to pay for it.
  A reasoned tax relief legislation will be the real answer, not the 
answer, if you will, of a huge, ridiculous amount of dollars going to 
individuals who, of their own voice, have said, we are well. We are 
well. The economy is turning, the Dow is working.
  If you ask our major banks, they have more than $4 billion-plus in 
some of our major banks in the third quarter in profits. And as well, 
we see that the economy is moving. In fact, we know that some of the 
unemployment numbers even went down.
  But we need to focus on reducing that deficit, not adding to it by a 
ludicrous, reordering of even the Bush response to estate tax. And that 
is, to create a $68 billion, if you will, burden on the American people 
to give an unusual tax relief to an estate of a magnitude that only 
fits a small number of people, some 39,000 out of a 300 million-person 
country.
  We're not trying to deny those working family farms, those small 
businesses that will have an opportunity to benefit again.
  But let me remind you there were tax cuts in the stimulus. There were 
tax cuts in the recent Small Business Jobs Act, some 16 or more tax 
cuts for small businesses. In addition, there is $30 billion sitting 
for small businesses in our community banks.
  I believe some of the elements of any kind of tax relief should 
ensure that those who get tax relief, such as major corporations, 
should have accountability. Yes, they should have profit; but at the 
same time there should be a linkage to their commitment to retaining 
jobs and not laying people off.
  We want the right kind of relief for the American people, and that's 
the kind of tax bill that I'll be supporting. And I look forward to my 
colleagues working with them.

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