mr. speaker , when this administration took over the white house , the united states enjoyed a multi-billion dollar budget surplus . 
but a republican-controlled congress proved unable to stay the course . 
instead , our public surplus has been surrendered -- surrendered to special interests and their corrupt coterie of cronies . 
every time big oil or halliburton or some other corporation that shifts its jobs and its profits offshore comes up here and asks for another tax break , this congress waves the white flag of surrender . 
the commitment to any fiscal discipline is in full retreat . 
now we have huge deficits as far as the eye can see . 
at a time of war , republicans demand no sacrifice from those at the top , no sacrifice from multinational corporations ; and they demand that those at the bottom sacrifice their all . 
under this bill , the few individuals making over $ 1 million per year are rewarded , on the average , with over $ 50 , 000 in tax breaks . 
so those at the top , they can add another fancy foreign car to their fleet . 
but for the many who are earning up to $ 40 , 000 a year , that is over half of the people of the united states , they get an average of $ 30 , maybe enough for a full tank of gas . 
once again , america sees that a true republican christmas is one where only the silk stockings get stuffed . 
and when the bill for this lavish christmas give-away comes due , who is going to pay ? 
our children will pick up the tab in the form of endless national debt and with cuts to child care , cuts to assistance to abused and neglected children , cuts to child support enforcement , and cuts to student financial assistance . 
the tax-writing body in this chamber has truly become the `` committee on greedy ways and shifty means. '' and this will be remembered as the `` cut-and-run '' congress , cutting taxes greatly for the few , while running trillion-dollar deficits for the rest of us . 
