Ohio Democrats hammer Boehner, House Republicans
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Ohio Democrats, including Representatives Marcia Fudge (D-Warrensville Heights), Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo), Tim Ryan (D-Niles), Betty Sutton (D-Copley) and Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern have denounced Speaker John Boehner’s Tea Party-run Republican House Caucus for voting down President Obama’s $1,500 payroll tax cut extension and expansion yesterday, opting instead to raise taxes on 5.8 million middle class Ohioans.
"Republicans have just pulled a bait and switch on the American people by taking a bill to conference that has overwhelming bipartisan support. The Tea Party Republicans have revolted again, walking away from a bipartisan agreement and demonstrating that they never intended to give the middle class a tax cut,” said Congresswoman Fudge. "What they don't seem to understand is that there is no more time to waste. Playing political games that deny benefits for 6 million unemployed Americans, including 70,000 Ohioans, is unacceptable. In 11 days, 160 million middle class Americans will see their taxes raised."
She added, “The Senate passed this bipartisan compromise, securing 89 votes including the entire Republican Leadership. By refusing to take an up or down vote, House Republicans are demonstrating their obstruction to helping unemployed and middle class Americans who are still hurting."
Congresswoman Kaptur called out serial flip-flopper Mitt Romney for belittling the payroll tax cut that would benefit 5.8 million Ohioans as just a “temporary little band-aid” before reluctantly supporting it when it was clear that voters overwhelmingly supported it.
“Mitt Romney hasn’t rolled out a plan that would restore economic security for the middle class in Ohio – instead, it gives tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires and large corporations while doing next to nothing for middle class families,” said Congresswoman Kaptur. “If you want to know how Mitt Romney’s plan contrasts with the President’s plan, take the example of an Ohioan family making $40,000 a year. Thanks to tax cuts enacted by President Obama, in 2011 this household will receive over $1900 in tax cuts.
"A $700 tax cut for college tuition through the American Opportunity Tax Cut in the Recovery Act, an $800 payroll tax cut and a $421 tax cut on earned income. Under Governor Romney’s plan, the typical Ohio household making $40,000 a year would receive a tax cut worth only $54. He’d eliminate taxes on investment income that help high income families – but do next to nothing for middle class families.”
Congressman Ryan said that House Republicans “need to start acting like adults.”
“Once again, we’re down to the wire on a Tea Party-manufactured crisis that makes a fundamental difference to working people, and, like clockwork, the extremist Republican Tea Party Leadership is doing everything except handling the people’s business," he said.
“The Senate usually can’t get consensus on what time it is, but somehow, in the spirit of cooperation, 89 of them managed to put aside their differences to pass a bill that addresses the interests of the middle class for long enough to allow us to craft a more long-term solution. In response, the Republican Tea Party Leadership in the House has set up a showdown, with stakes that are only high for those most in need right now – they are once again holding middle-class Americans hostage for political gain.”
Congressman Ryan added, “Republican House members need to realize that Americans desperately need another $1,000 in their pockets to pay for gas, groceries, or a mortgage; the radicals in Congress need to start acting like adults, get their priorities in order and pass this legislation.”
Congresswoman Sutton said Tea-Party Republicans should immediately join Democrats in passing the tax cut for 160 million Americans. “It is simply absurd that John Boehner and his Tea Party Republicans refuse to allow the House to vote on a bipartisan compromise that Senators Brown and Portman both voted for, and passed by a margin of 89-10,” she said.
“The House should vote immediately to pass this bipartisan compromise and prevent a tax hike on 160 million working-class Americans that will help our small businesses and our unemployed. The time is now to come together to protect our middle-class and set aside the partisan rhetoric and games that this extreme Republican House majority is putting before the American people.”
Chairman Chris Redfern said, “From the serial flip-flopper Mitt Romney to House Speaker John Boehner and the Tea Party extremists who dominate the Republican House caucus, Republicans have time and time again aligned themselves with millionaires and billionaires instead of middle class families. So it comes as no surprise that Republicans yet again put politics ahead of the middle class and turned their backs on working families here in Ohio and across the country – voting for a tax hike on 160 million Americans.”
He added, “Their economic policies – just like the Republican budget that Mitt Romney champions, which would end Medicare as we know it, lead to deep cuts in Social Security and decimate investments in education and vital programs that create jobs – would have disastrous consequences for Ohio middle class families who are still struggling to make ends meet.”[[In-content Ad]]
"Republicans have just pulled a bait and switch on the American people by taking a bill to conference that has overwhelming bipartisan support. The Tea Party Republicans have revolted again, walking away from a bipartisan agreement and demonstrating that they never intended to give the middle class a tax cut,” said Congresswoman Fudge. "What they don't seem to understand is that there is no more time to waste. Playing political games that deny benefits for 6 million unemployed Americans, including 70,000 Ohioans, is unacceptable. In 11 days, 160 million middle class Americans will see their taxes raised."
She added, “The Senate passed this bipartisan compromise, securing 89 votes including the entire Republican Leadership. By refusing to take an up or down vote, House Republicans are demonstrating their obstruction to helping unemployed and middle class Americans who are still hurting."
Congresswoman Kaptur called out serial flip-flopper Mitt Romney for belittling the payroll tax cut that would benefit 5.8 million Ohioans as just a “temporary little band-aid” before reluctantly supporting it when it was clear that voters overwhelmingly supported it.
“Mitt Romney hasn’t rolled out a plan that would restore economic security for the middle class in Ohio – instead, it gives tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires and large corporations while doing next to nothing for middle class families,” said Congresswoman Kaptur. “If you want to know how Mitt Romney’s plan contrasts with the President’s plan, take the example of an Ohioan family making $40,000 a year. Thanks to tax cuts enacted by President Obama, in 2011 this household will receive over $1900 in tax cuts.
"A $700 tax cut for college tuition through the American Opportunity Tax Cut in the Recovery Act, an $800 payroll tax cut and a $421 tax cut on earned income. Under Governor Romney’s plan, the typical Ohio household making $40,000 a year would receive a tax cut worth only $54. He’d eliminate taxes on investment income that help high income families – but do next to nothing for middle class families.”
Congressman Ryan said that House Republicans “need to start acting like adults.”
“Once again, we’re down to the wire on a Tea Party-manufactured crisis that makes a fundamental difference to working people, and, like clockwork, the extremist Republican Tea Party Leadership is doing everything except handling the people’s business," he said.
“The Senate usually can’t get consensus on what time it is, but somehow, in the spirit of cooperation, 89 of them managed to put aside their differences to pass a bill that addresses the interests of the middle class for long enough to allow us to craft a more long-term solution. In response, the Republican Tea Party Leadership in the House has set up a showdown, with stakes that are only high for those most in need right now – they are once again holding middle-class Americans hostage for political gain.”
Congressman Ryan added, “Republican House members need to realize that Americans desperately need another $1,000 in their pockets to pay for gas, groceries, or a mortgage; the radicals in Congress need to start acting like adults, get their priorities in order and pass this legislation.”
Congresswoman Sutton said Tea-Party Republicans should immediately join Democrats in passing the tax cut for 160 million Americans. “It is simply absurd that John Boehner and his Tea Party Republicans refuse to allow the House to vote on a bipartisan compromise that Senators Brown and Portman both voted for, and passed by a margin of 89-10,” she said.
“The House should vote immediately to pass this bipartisan compromise and prevent a tax hike on 160 million working-class Americans that will help our small businesses and our unemployed. The time is now to come together to protect our middle-class and set aside the partisan rhetoric and games that this extreme Republican House majority is putting before the American people.”
Chairman Chris Redfern said, “From the serial flip-flopper Mitt Romney to House Speaker John Boehner and the Tea Party extremists who dominate the Republican House caucus, Republicans have time and time again aligned themselves with millionaires and billionaires instead of middle class families. So it comes as no surprise that Republicans yet again put politics ahead of the middle class and turned their backs on working families here in Ohio and across the country – voting for a tax hike on 160 million Americans.”
He added, “Their economic policies – just like the Republican budget that Mitt Romney champions, which would end Medicare as we know it, lead to deep cuts in Social Security and decimate investments in education and vital programs that create jobs – would have disastrous consequences for Ohio middle class families who are still struggling to make ends meet.”[[In-content Ad]]