Press Releases

Last night, the Rules Committee - at the direction of the Republican leadership - voted out a martial law rule that will deny the House of Representatives an up-or-down vote on the bipartisan Senate compromise.

No vote!

We're only days away from seeing 160 million hard working, middle-income Americans see their taxes increase - and there's no vote.

We're on the verge of allowing two million jobless people to lose their unemployement benefits and 48 million senior citizens to lose their healthcare - and the Republicans tell us there can be no vote!

Are you kidding me?

My Republican friends last night defended their delaying tactics by saying all they wanted was to protect regular order when it comes to legislation. Since when? Last week we passed an omnibus appropriations bill where half of the appropriations bills never even came to the floor for a vote. And this rule today provides blanket, same day authority to do anything they want through January 17^th of next year! Regular order? Please.

Sadly, the Rules Committee is becoming a place where democracy and fairness goes to die. This is shameful.

We have a habit in this House where we like to point fingers and blame the Senate for its dysfunction. But we can't do that today. Because the Senate actually functioned and gave us a bipartisan compromise.

It's not perfect, and we all want a one year extension of the payroll tax cut - but as we struggle to find acceptable payfors, which up to this point we have not been able to do, the U.S. Senate has provided us with a bridge to get there.

This compromise includes a short term extension of the payroll tax cut, unemployment insurance and the doc fix. This package also includes a requirement that President Obama make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline - which many of us find hard to swallow. But Democrats get something they want and Republicans get something they want.

But that's not good enough for House Republicans.

At a time when the American people want Democrats and Republicans to work together - the Senate actually did and 89 Senators - 39 Republicans - including the Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voted yes.

That politicians can come to agreement on important matters, I believe, is a good thing.

What's a bad thing is what House Republican Leaders are doing today; trying to scuttle this deal by denying us a vote.

I would ask my Republican colleagues, what do you have against the middle class? Why in the world would anyone want to raise taxes on working families come January 1^st? Why are Republicans so indifferent to the plight of the unemployed? How can anyone turn their backs on millions of senior citizens?

In today's Washington Post, a Republican Member is quoted as saying, quote, -its high stakes poker- end quote. Well, M. Speaker, this is not a card game. In fact, this is not a game of any kind.

Well, M. Speaker, let me inform my Republican colleagues that this is not a game. This is real life. With real people. And real consequences.

I would say to the Republican leaders of this House, show us that you can govern. This is time for an adult moment. It's time to tell your Tea Party wing - that the American people come first.

It is time to put country ahead of political party. It is time to stop the games.

We're less than twelve days away from a tax increase on middle class Americans and, instead of doing what's right for 160 million Americans, the Republican leadership is playing politics. Denying us a vote and making certain that, today, we will accomplish absolutely nothing for the American people.

Instead of doing the right thing, the Republican leadership has bowed down to the most extreme elements of their party. Unfortunately, the real losers are the American people. They deserve better than this.

Let me say to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, vote down this rule. Don't leave town until we have a chance to vote on the Senate compromise to ensure that millions of our fellow citizens don't see their taxes go up during these difficult economic times. Give us a vote. Let Members of this House to do what's right for the American people. Give us a vote.