[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 20035-20036]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       MAJORITY RISKING TAX CUTS

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)

[[Page 20036]]


  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the majority unwisely gambled with 
the economic security of the middle class. They voted on legislation 
that was designed to fail, fully knowing that it will be dead on 
arrival in the Senate and vetoed by the President.
  By tieing the extension of the payroll tax to controversial and 
unrelated policies, the majority is playing a dangerous game that could 
result in tax hikes for 160 million workers. Moreover, by attaching the 
Medicare doc fix to the same divisive policy, they have endangered 
seniors' access to their doctors.
  We must support a clean extension of the payroll tax holiday and the 
unemployment insurance that is not paid for through increased health 
care costs for seniors or at the expense of public health. If we fail 
to pass a clean extension of the payroll tax holiday or unemployment 
benefits, the average American family will lose a tax break worth 
$1,000 and our economy will lose $30 billion as the unemployed will 
lose much needed assistance.
  Now is not the time to play risky games with our economy. We must 
pass a clean extension of the payroll tax and continue assistance for 
the unemployed.

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