Congressional Priorities

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, for the last 2 years, Democratic leaders in Washington have spent virtually all of their time ticking off items on the liberal wish list while they have had the chance: government-run health care, a national energy tax, financial regulations, bigger government, bigger deficits, union bailouts, government takeovers. So here we are, with just a few weeks left in the session, and they are still at it.

Last month, the American people issued their verdict on the Democratic priorities. Democrats have responded by doubling down. For 2 years, they legislated as if they were not in the middle of a national jobs crisis, and now they are legislating as if they do not realize the government is about to run out of money and every taxpayer in America is about to get slammed with a giant tax hike.

With just a few weeks to go before the end of the session, Democrats continue to place their priorities over the priorities of the American people. These are the things Democrats have chosen to do instead of preventing a massive tax hike that economists tell us would stifle the economy.

Republicans have pleaded with Democrats to put aside their wish list, to focus on the things Americans want us to focus on. They have ignored us. The voters repudiated their agenda at the polls. They have ignored them. Time is running out, and they are ignoring that.

The election was a month ago. It is time to get serious. It is time to focus on priorities.

Now, a little while ago, I delivered a letter to Senator Reid signed by all 42 Senate Republicans. It says every Republican will vote against proceeding to any legislative matter until we have funded the government and protected every taxpayer from a tax hike. Basically, what it means is, first things first.

With time running out in this session, we need to focus on these critical priorities. As the letter states:

Our constituents have repeatedly asked us to focus on creating an environment for private-sector job growth; it is time that our constituents' priorities become the Senate's priorities.

At the moment, every taxpayer in the country stands to get a massive tax increase and a cut in pay on December 31. We need to show the American people we care more about them and their ability to pay their bills than we do about the special interest groups' legislative Christmas list. Republicans are united in our opposition to proceeding to any of these things until Democrats make the priorities of the American people their own.

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