Marketplace and Internet Tax Fairness Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, last week the American people sent a strong message to Washington. They voted for a new direction. They called for a change in the way we do things in the Senate, and they sent a new team to Washington to carry their wishes forward, and we plan to do just that.
But several items remain for the outgoing Congress to consider and that is our immediate focus.
In the weeks that remain in this Congress, we should work to accomplish the essential task of funding the Congress and preventing retroactive tax increases. We must address the expiring authority passed earlier this session for the Department of Defense to train and equip a moderate, vetted Syrian opposition, and we must continue to support the efforts to address the Ebola crisis.
All of this will require cooperation from both sides of the aisle, from both sides of the rotunda, and from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. The actions of the next few weeks can help set a positive tone for the work of the next Congress. It is a tone that will depend largely on the administration's willingness to respect the message sent last Tuesday.
That is one of the things we discussed at the White House on Friday. It was a productive meeting. There is a lot both parties can accomplish together over the next couple of years. I hope that happens. In fact, I am optimistic. But working together requires trust.
I think President Obama has the duty to help build the trust we all need to move forward together--not to double down in the old ways of doing business. That is why I think moving forward with the unilateral action on immigration he has planned would be a big mistake, as was last night's announcement to essentially give China a free pass on emissions while hurting middle-class families and struggling miners here in our country.
Last Friday, the President said the American people would like to see more cooperation in Washington. He said he thinks all of us have a responsibility--himself in particular--to try and make that happen. That is the kind of tone the American people are looking for. Now it is on folks in Washington to calibrate their actions accordingly. So let's not do things to hurt the possibility of a cooperative partnership. Let's step back and focus on what can be accomplished together. Let's listen to the American people.
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