Senate Proceeding 12-08-10 on Dec 8th, 2010 :: 1:41:40 to 1:45:55
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1:41:40 to 1:42:01( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: states senate, although i probably shouldn't be. i stand here amazed because in this economic times -- in these economic times when senior citizens from -- from ashtabula to middletown to toledo in my state and from the iron range to rochester, minnesota, the presiding officer's state and

1:41:40 to 1:45:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Sherrod Brown

1:42:02 to 1:42:22( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: all across this country, senior citizens who didn't get a cost of living adjustment this year, who are victims of inflation, medical inflation especially, but the cost of the inflation rate is not very high in our society so they doesn't get a cost of living adjustment, even though their cost of living has gone up, that every single republican in this institution,

1:42:23 to 1:42:43( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: every single republican voted no on a $250, one-time check to go to senior citizens. it would have meant the equivalent of about, i believe, 1.5%, a little less than that, cost of living adjustment. now, if they are so interested in balancing the budget that they don't want to do that, maybe that's one argument, although i don't think it's a

1:42:44 to 1:43:06( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: very good one in these economic times, but when the same week they sign a letter saying we're not going to do anything, every single republican signed a letter saying we're not going to do anything in this -- in the senate, we're not voting yes on anything until we get the tax cut for millionaires and billionaires, that's pretty outrageous, and the tax cut they're asking for, somebody that makes $10 million a year

1:43:07 to 1:43:28( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: gets a $40,000 tax cut. somebody making $1 million a year -- i'm sorry, gets a a $400,000 tax cut, i believe. somebody making $1 million gets a $40,000 tax cut. and we are -- they are saying they are willing to vote for that, but they're not willing to vote for $250 to every senior citizen in this country.

1:43:29 to 1:43:50( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: the cost of that, if you want to get in the weeds and talk about budget issues, the cost of that that $250 that senator sanders sponsored would be about about $13 billion. the cost of these tax cuts for the wealthy -- the cost of these tax cuts for the wealthy are about $700 billion over the next

1:43:51 to 1:44:11( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: ten years. so basic what will we are doing, what they're doing for the tax cuts for the wealthy is borrowing -- in essence, borrowing $700 billion from china, putting it on our children's and grandchildren's credit card to pay off later, let them worry about it, and giving that money to millionaires and billionaires. they're willing to to that but they won't -- they won't vote

1:44:12 to 1:44:33( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: $250, a total of $13 billion, one time, they're not willing for this year, they're not willing to help those seniors in youngstown and lima and zanesville in chillicothe and tip city, ohio. i just don't get it. maybe -- i know it's the christmas season. that's not a reason to do it but you'd think there would be a little more generosity in their hearts during this most

1:44:34 to 1:44:55( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: difficult time for seniors that are barely making it. the average senior citizen in this country gets about $14,000 social security a year. many seniors in my state, in places like columbus and places like dayton and places like portsmouth live on not much more than their social security check.

1:44:56 to 1:45:17( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: and a $250 payment would have made a difference in maybe not having to split their medicine in two and taking half a dosage each time or maybe actually being able to heat their homes as the winter -- as it gets colder and colder as the winter comes upon us, that they would have a little opportunity to at least do that and live a little more comfortably. instead, this place again said yes to tax cuts for the rich, no

1:45:18 to 1:45:38( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: to senior citizens. it wasn't a majority. a majority of people, all democrats, voted for this. but every single republican voted against it. i don't get it, mr. president. i don't mean to sound partisan here, but when it's like that, it's just -- it makes me -- it's just unbelievable that -- that senators who, most of us are

1:45:39 to 1:45:58( Edit History Discussion )

Sherrod Brown: going to go home and enjoy our holidays, that we would put ou our -- our nation's seniors through something like that. mr. president, i -- i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call th