Press Releases: 2012

“I thank the Leader for her comments, I certainly agree with her. Last night’s vote showed us that resolving the challenge that confronts us with the fiscal cliff cannot and will not be done with a partisan vote. It showed us that we must work together in a bipartisan way and that we must preclude going over the fiscal cliff by a balanced agreement that Republicans can support, that Democrats can support, that the President of the United States will sign, and that can pass the United States Senate. It is absolutely incumbent upon us to do that.

“I think President Obama has made it very clear that he has been willing to move. He has moved both on revenues and on cuts and spending. But he has not met with any kind of positive response to this point in time. I think Speaker [John] Boehner wants to get a deal. Whatever happened last night it did not eliminate the risk that the cliff causes our economy, and our people. It's incumbent upon us, therefore, to continue to work towards a solution and to reach a solution prior to the end of the year.”

“Clearly, the Republicans know that what they are doing today is simply a waste of time… What we’re doing today is wasting time pretending, making political points but not moving the ball forward to get to a compromise that will be necessary if we're going to avoid the sequester that nobody wants, not go over the cliff, and take very positive steps toward getting this country on a fiscally sound path.”

"I continue to be encouraged by positive signs of negotiation between the President and the Speaker.  However, Speaker Boehner’s decision today to schedule a partisan vote on a ‘plan B’ is not helpful.  America needs a big and balanced plan to reduce our debt, not more hollow political votes.  While it is a good sign that talks continue, we need to keep the focus on negotiations to move the country forward. 

“Today, the United States lost a great statesman and decorated war hero.  As a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Daniel K. Inouye gave his right arm in service to his country during World War II in an action that earned him the Medal of Honor.  He then continued to give America every measure of his energy, his wisdom, and his devotion through public service. 

It think it's a positive sign once again that the President and [Speaker] John Boehner are sitting down. I've talked to both of them. They both want to get to an agreement. ... Nobody's walking away from the table. The stakes are very high here, the hopes of America are keen on us getting to success, and failure is going to have real consequences, so I'm very hopeful that [Speaker] John Boehner and President Obama … are talking [about] a way to get us to an agreement that Congress can consider and hopefully pass so that America will have the confidence that we have placed ourselves on a fiscally-sustainable, credible path for the long-term. I think that's what America wants.

I am deeply disappointed that Republican legislators in Michigan today passed two so-called ‘right-to-work’ bills that erode the hard-won right of unions to organize workers for better wages and conditions.  President Obama was right yesterday when he characterized this move as having nothing to do with economics and everything to do with politics.  These bills represent the type of class warfare that puts profits before the needs of hard-working Americans; they will not grow our middle class or help families who have struggled throughout the economic downturn.  By weakening the bargaining strength of labor unions, these bills undermine the relationships forged over many years in Michigan between labor and management, and in the past Governor Rick Snyder has called ‘right-to-work’ legislation divisive and inappropriate.  I urge him to reconsider his stated intention to sign these bills into law.

For residents of areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, additional assistance to continue recovery efforts cannot come soon enough. The emergency aid package requested today by the Obama Administration will help communities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and neighboring states get back on their feet.

Today, the Senate ensured that U.S. companies will have better access to the Russian market when it passed H.R. 6156 by a strong, bipartisan vote of 92-4.  By granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia, Congress has provided the President the tools needed to ensure Russia follows World Trade Organization rules and the market access commitments it has made.  This will help create a level playing field for American businesses and workers seeking to export to the growing Russian market.  In addition, this bill provides for tougher sanctions against those officials responsible for violating human rights and basic freedoms, including those involved in the tragic death of Sergei Magnitsky.  I look forward to seeing President Obama sign this bill into law and take the steps it makes available to enforce fair trade rules that benefit American businesses and the jobs they create.

The executive order, signed today by President Obama, creating an Interagency Task Force on Commercial Advocacy will help American businesses compete more effectively overseas.  This is an important step in the ongoing effort by this Administration to ensure a level playing field for American companies seeking to do business abroad and export their goods.