Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I am pleased to report two pieces of good news out of Congress today. After 2 years of policies that lacked public support, the tide is beginning to turn.

Today the President will sign a bill that ensures no American--not a single one--gets a tax hike on January 1. Republicans have fought hard for this legislation. Up until last week, most Democrats resisted. But in the end the American people were heard. That is a welcome change from the last 2 years.

The American people have finally been heard on another matter as well. Yesterday, Republicans united against a 2,000-page, $1.2 trillion spending bill that Democrats were trying to ram through Congress in the final hours of this session. The goal of this bill was perfectly clear. Its purpose was to lock in for another year the same big government policies voters overwhelmingly rejected on November 2.

By approving this bill, we would have helped cement for another year massive increases in spending and helped pave the way for a health care bill most Americans are asking us to repeal.

Once those details became clear, it was imperative that we reject it.

The voters don't want us to wait to cut spending and debt and fight the health care bill next October--they want us to do these things immediately.

So I am proud of my conference for sticking together on these principles.

Here in these final days of the 111th Congress we have held the line on taxes.

We have held the line on spending.

Next, we turn to cutting spending and cutting debt.

The American people are seeing change here in Washington.

They can expect more in the New Year.

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