WASHINGTON - Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) today made the following statement on the floor of the House of Representatives regarding Republicans’ refusal to allow a vote on a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut, federal unemployment insurance and Medicare physician payment rates:
This is a dishonest procedure. It is a ruse to avoid a straight up or down vote on the Senate bill and the two-month extension. Why not hold a straight vote, as indeed called for under regular order? That’s the regular order. Because the Republican majority is afraid of a straight vote. They are afraid that some Republicans would vote yes and the Senate bill would pass and the president would sign it and it would become law today. They don’t want Republicans on record voting against a payroll tax cut. That is the epitome of a ruse. Thirty-nine Republican senators - all but a handful - voted for the bill.
What happened since Saturday’s bipartisan Senate bill that Speaker Boehner said was a ‘good deal?’ Well, the sailors staged a mutiny and the captain decided to surrender. He decided to join the mutiny to keep the ship from coming to port. But the problem is that on board are millions of passengers waiting to dock.
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160 million Americans would see their taxes increase.
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2.3 million Americans looking for work would lose their critical unemployment benefits.
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And 48 million Americans on Medicare will have access to their doctors they know and they trust jeopardized.
Sen. Dick Lugar, Republican of Indiana, said: ‘I'm hopeful there are a majority of Republicans and Democrats today who will proceed, because it seems to me this is best for the country, as well as for all the individuals who are affected.’
Sen. Scott Brown, Republican of Massachusetts, said this: ‘The House Republicans’ plan to scuttle the deal to help middle-class families is irresponsible and wrong. … The refusal to compromise now threatens to increase taxes on hard-working Americans and stop unemployment benefits for those out of work. … We cannot allow rigid partisan ideology and unwillingness to compromise stand in the way of working together for the good of the American people.’
Sen. Dean Heller, Republican of Nevada, put it this way: ‘There is no reason to hold up the short-term extension while a more comprehensive deal is being worked out.’
And I want to quote a letter -- a statement from the Treasury Department -- about the notion that the two-month extension cannot be implemented: ‘While any short-term extension is bound to create some administrative complications, it is feasible to implement the bipartisan Senate bill, and the Treasury Department will work with employers to ensure the smoothest possible implementation. In the current economic situation, any such complications will be outweighed by the economic benefits of ensuring that taxes do not go up on 160 million Americans starting on January 1st.’
I want to close with what Sen. Harry Reid said. Take it seriously. Thirty-nine Republicans and 50 Democrats voted for the bill you won't let us vote on. You will not let us vote on. Reid said: ‘I have always sought a year-long extension. I have been trying to forge one for weeks, and I am happy to continue negotiating one once we have made sure middle-class families will not wake up to a tax increase on January 1st. So before we re-open negotiations on a year-long extension, the House of Representatives must protect middle-class families by passing the overwhelmingly bipartisan compromise that Republicans negotiated, and was approved by ninety percent of the Senate.’
You will be snubbing a bipartisan compromise. You are jeopardizing the lives of millions of taxpayers, millions of the unemployed and millions of seniors. To keep harmony within your ranks. You are creating the possibility of immense discord within the United States of America. We are not going to let you do it.
