[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14962]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           AMERICAN JOBS ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, what this week has shown beyond any 
doubt is that Democrats would rather talk about partisan legislation 
they won't pass than actually passing legislation we know would create 
jobs.
  Two and a half years after the President signed his first stimulus, 
there are 1.7 million fewer jobs in this country. Now he wants to do it 
again. Why? Because Democrats think it makes for good politics.
  This week, it was revealed that there wasn't enough support within 
the Democratic ranks to pass the President's so-called jobs bill--it 
was simply too partisan. So yesterday, instead of making it less 
partisan, they made it more so. By adding a tax on small business 
owners, they made it even less attractive to job creators rather than 
working with Republicans on legislation that would actually help create 
jobs.
  I mean, what is our goal here? If the goal is to create jobs, then 
why are we even talking about tax hikes? The President himself has said 
that raising taxes is the last thing we want to do in a weak economy. 
That is the President of the United States. Even the White House 
predicts the unemployment rate will be high when this tax would kick 
in. So the real goal here for Democrats, as far as I can tell, is 
entirely political. By arguing for a permanent tax hike to pay for a 
temporary stimulus, they are essentially admitting they are not 
particularly interested in creating jobs. Proposing a partisan tax hike 
13 months before an election will not create one single job--not one. 
So I would suggest that our friends on the other side put away the 
playbook and work with us instead.
  As I have said repeatedly, Republicans are ready to act right away 
with Democrats on bipartisan, job-creating legislation--on the three 
trade bills, for instance, on regulatory reform, increasing American 
energy production, and tax reform. All those things would help the 
economy, and all could be strongly--strongly--bipartisan. Yet 
Democratic leaders do not seem to be interested in working together.
  Two days ago, for example, I offered the President his request to 
vote on his second stimulus. Our Democratic friends blocked the vote. 
Instead of working across the aisle with Republicans on solutions that 
would help put people back to work, Democrats have fallen back to tired 
talking points--the same, stale rhetoric we have heard literally for 
years. With 14 million Americans out of work, this is completely and 
totally unacceptable.
  We are wasting valuable time. Despite the President assuring 
Americans that nobody is talking about raising taxes right now and that 
a down economy is a horrible time to raise taxes--again, this is what 
the President said--the new Democratic tax hike would take effect in a 
little over a year, when CBO tells us the unemployment rate will still 
be well over 8 percent.
  It is no wonder the economy is stagnant, businesses are not hiring, 
and unemployment is at 9 percent. How can anyone be expected to make 
plans when the next ``gotcha'' tax hike to pay for this President's 
spending binge is always lurking right around the corner?
  The President has said it is wrong to raise taxes in this weak 
economic environment. If he meant what he said, surely he will join me 
in opposing this unwise tax hike Senate Democrats have proposed.
  Republicans, along with some Democrats, have progrowth solutions to 
help solve this crisis, but we will not stand for a permanent tax hike 
for a temporary stimulus that is largely a rehash of the same stimulus 
ideas this administration has already tried.
  This bill is the same wasteful spending, the same burdensome union 
giveaways, and the same temporary tax policy that has failed the 
American people in the last 2 years.
  This economy can grow and create jobs when Washington reduces 
spending and regulations, and by simplifying our incredibly complex tax 
system. This is what is needed to literally unleash the private sector.
  It is time Democrats move beyond the political rhetoric and for the 
President to stop campaigning. It is time for Democrats to reach across 
the aisle on bipartisan legislation that can actually pass.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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