[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16138]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, last month, the American people went to 
the polls and delivered Congress a resounding message--that Republicans 
and Democrats should be working together to solve our Nation's 
problems. Although our constituents have made it clear that the time 
for partisan games is over and despite overwhelming support for the 
idea, the House Republican leaders are refusing to hold a vote on 
extending tax cuts for middle class families. Instead, they plan to 
keep holding them hostage to tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
  So, today, we have filed a discharge petition to force a vote on the 
Middle Class Tax Cut Act so that 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent 
of small businesses don't have to worry about their taxes going up at 
the end of this year. It will ensure that 100 percent of Americans will 
see a tax cut for the first $250,000 of family income.
  The Senate has already passed an equivalent bill, but today the House 
is still standing in the way of tax relief for middle class families. I 
urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the right thing for 
working families: force the House Republican leadership to hold a vote 
on the middle class tax cut bill by signing this discharge petition and 
by forcing the bill to the floor so that we can do right by the 
American people.

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