Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks Wednesday regarding the signed letter from Senate Republicans to Majority Leader Reid:
“For the past two years, Democrat leaders in Washington have spent virtually all their time ticking off items on the liberal wish list while they’ve had the chance.
“Government-run health care, a national energy tax, financial regulations, bigger government, bigger deficits, union bailouts and government takeovers.
“And so here we, just a few weeks left in the session, and they’re still at it.
“Last month, the American people issued their verdict on the Democrat’s priorities.
“Democrats have responded by doubling down.
“For two years, they legislated as if we weren’t in the middle of a national jobs crisis.
“And now they’re legislating as if they don’t realize government’s 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 own 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’ve ignored us. The voters repudiated their agenda at the polls. They’ve ignored them. Time is running out. They’re ignoring that.
“The election was a month ago. It’s time to get serious. It’s time to focus on priorities.
“A little while ago, I delivered a letter to Senator Reid signed by all 42 Senate Republicans.
“It says that every Republicans will vote against proceeding to any legislative matter until we’ve funded the government and protected every taxpayer from a tax hike. Basically, 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 31st. We need to show the American people that we care more about them and their ability to pay their bills than we do about the special interests' 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.”
TEXT CREDIT: U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell:
VIDEO CREDIT: Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
