Full transcript of Senator Brown’s Address:
“Hello, I’m United States Senator Scott Brown. When the citizens of Massachusetts sent me to the United States Senate last year, they expected me to work with anyone in any party for the good of our country. And that’s what I do each and every day.
“With millions of Americans looking for jobs – it’s no mystery what our priority should be here in Washington. We should be doing all that we can to help this economy start creating jobs again – and we should be doing it right now.
“Working to create jobs is one of those challenges that tests us here in Congress. It shows us who we really serve – the party leadership on Capitol Hill, or the people who elected us in the first place, and my attitude is, I answer to my conscience and to my constituents, period. That’s my focus. And with the clock running down on 2011, focus is exactly what Congress needs to revive our nation’s economy.
“With the holidays approaching, listen; this should be a happy time spent with families. But, unfortunately too many Americans have spent months looking for a job and still can’t find one. The reality is that we should make a difference here and now, with legislation that could be passed immediately.
“Now I know this can happen, because both parties have already found some common ground in economic policy for example. Just a few weeks ago, we passed free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama. These agreements show what bipartisanship can accomplish. They were negotiated by President Bush … passed by a Republican House and a Democratic Senate … and signed into law by President Obama.
“Yes, it took us a lot longer than it should have, but after some give and take, we finally got it done. And just like that, we set in motion a big change that is going to create thousands of jobs in Massachusetts and all across America.
“Meanwhile, another bipartisan opportunity is staring us right in the face. It’s a jobs bill I introduced back in January. And far from being just my idea, it’s the only jobs bill on the table that has the support of majorities in the House and the Senate, and also has been endorsed by the President.
“This bill would repeal the 3 percent withholding mandate – it’s a stealth tax that will hit small businesses and contractors starting in 2013. If this mandate is not repealed, then all levels of government will suddenly start withholding 3 percent of payments to contractors that provide any product or service to the government.
“Now, all the mandate will do is, is take more money out of our economy at a time when quite frankly we can least afford it. And as a result, businesses will have less money to hire and pay new workers. The costs of enforcing this unfunded mandate will actually be higher than the revenue it raises by almost eight to one; now only in Washington does this make sense; listen, it’s a job killer.
“Here’s where we stand right now on the bill. It was passed by the House last week with an overwhelming 405 votes. Now it’s come to the Senate.
“So the decision pretty much rests with Majority Leader Harry Reid. Are we going to do something for the American people, or are we going to let politics win out again?
“Leader Reid has come to me a few times and asked me to consider bills on their merits, and I’m always willing to do so. And now I’m asking the same of my colleague, the Majority Leader. This jobs bill comes at the right time, for the right reasons, and it deserves a prompt vote on the Senate floor, without any gimmicks that will delay or jeopardize passage, so the President can sign it into law right away.
“Listen, I’m a still fairly new to the Senate, but I’ve been here long enough to have noticed something. One breakthrough has a way of leading to other breakthroughs. One show of good will has a way of spreading good will. This jobs bill, if we move it forward, can be followed by many more that can do even greater good. So hey, let’s start here. Let’s get this economy creating jobs once again, and show that we can come together when it’s needed most.
“In closing, we must remember we’re Americans first and we need to put our country’s interests before partisan political interests.
“Thank you very much.”
Article written by: Tom White
About Tom White
Tom is a US Navy Veteran, owns an Insurance Agency and is currently an IT Manager for a Virginia Distributor. He has been published in American Thinker, currently writes for the Richmond Examiner as well as Virginia Right! Blog. Tom lives in Hanover County, Va and is involved in politics at every level and is a Recovering Republican who has finally had enough of the War on Conservatives in progress with the Leadership of the GOP on a National Level.
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