Republicans haven’t acknowledged that the president chose not to let the economy slide into another recession by allowing taxes to rise on 98 percent of taxpayers because of Republican unwillingness to allow the tax rates for the top 2 percent of taxpayers to expire.

They also insisted on an exemption of $5 million on estates and a 35 percent tax rate above that amount instead of a more reasonable $3.5 million exemption with a 40-45 percent rate. Those two items will add about $150 billion to the deficit.

The Congressional Budget Office reports that extending the current top tax rate will affect the unemployment rate by only 0-0.1 percent. David Stockman, an architect of Reaganomics, says the tax cuts for the top 2 percent should not be extended. He also says the trickle-down economics theory was a mistake and does not work.

Republicans invoked 9/11 many times since 2001. In the past, they praised first-responders. Yet now they fight passage of the Zadroga Bill by filibustering it. This bill would provide health benefits for those who put the lives of others before their own. Many of those first responders now have cancer and other diseases. They should be treated with honor and respect by giving them their earned health care.

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., has said it would be sacrilegious to ask Congress to convene the last week of the year in order to work on legislation. It would be disrespectful of the American people not to do so.

Stan Tetenman, Poland