Providing for Consideration of H.R. 10, Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2011, and For Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, while this body wastes its time debating yet another bill that does nothing to create jobs or help the middle class, the American people are looking for action from us. We need to stop supporting handouts for wealthy corporations and pass an extension of the payroll tax and unemployment benefits immediately.

Despite saying for months, if not years, that tax cuts are their most important priority, the majority has failed to act on a critical extension of the payroll tax, even though it would save the average American family $1,500 a year; 400,000 jobs will be lost if we do not pass this payroll tax extension.

The majority has also failed to act on extending unemployment insurance benefits, even though UI has kept 900,000 kids out of poverty last year. In fact, the number of Americans in poverty would have doubled last year if the unemployment insurance benefits had not been extended. And at least 200,000 jobs will be lost if the majority blocks an extension of benefits.

But instead of acting on these two important priorities, what does the Republican majority spend its time on?

We have seen them protect wasteful tax breaks for corporate jet and race horse owners, corporate subsidies for Big Agriculture, Big Oil, special tax treatment for Wall Street millionaires and billionaires, and now this misguided bill, which would undermine our regulatory system to the detriment of everything from food safety to protecting the environment without doing anything to create jobs.

Time and again, the majority has shown that they will go to any lengths to side with the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans, while turning their backs on middle class and working families.

To take one more example, this past week Democrats introduced a payroll tax cut for 160 million people, offset by raising taxes on 350,000 millionaires. But the Republican majority instead put forward a package that would slash the Federal workforce, raise Medicare premiums, curtail the social safety nets.

Instead of just having America's wealthiest families pay their fair share of taxes, the majority would rather see more lost public jobs and less support for middle class families, all in order to continue a tax cut that independent economists agree is critical for our economy.

Keep in mind the Republican mantra in recent memory has always been that tax cuts never, never need to be offset. And a year ago they said the same of a payroll tax cut. They've now changed their tune.

American families deserve better leadership than this. Right now, Congress should be doing everything in its power to create jobs, rebuild our schools and infrastructure, support our small businesses, get our economy moving again. That means passing an extension and expansion of the payroll tax cut; that means passing an extension of the unemployment insurance benefits.

Working to create jobs, that's our job. We do not have the luxury to waste America's time catering to the wealthiest interests in our society and considering ill-conceived bills such as this one.

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