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




                 TIME TO VOTE ON MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS

  (Mr. YARMUTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the fiscal cliff, 
Republicans and Democrats have one major thing in common--we both 
believe tax rates shouldn't go up on 98 percent of Americans and 97 
percent of small businesses. The difference is that Democrats won't use 
middle class families as a bargaining chip.
  Today, House Republicans have a chance to show that they are more 
serious about making good policy than making political hostages of the 
middle class. We have filed a discharge petition to bring to the floor 
legislation that preserves tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans and 97 
percent of small businesses. It has already passed the Senate. The 
President says he will sign it immediately.
  With our deadline less than a month away, the clock is ticking, and 
if House Republican leadership is wondering when in our pressing 
schedule we might be able to fully consider this legislation, they 
might rethink their astonishing decision to cancel House business on 
Thursday--one of the few days Congress has left in the current session.
  Mr. Speaker, we know what we must do, and it might come as a surprise 
that we actually agree on a solution. All that's left is to vote. I 
urge my colleagues to sign the discharge petition and to vote 
immediately to keep middle class tax rates from going up.

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