Target Dems Won’t Support an Up-or-Down Vote on Obama Tax Hike

September 23, 2010

FYI, a version of the release below went out to the following districts: John Adler (NJ-03); Michael Arcuri (NY-24); Jason Altmire (PA-04); Sanford Bishop (GA-02); Tim Bishop (NY-01); John Boccieri (OH-16); Leonard Boswell (IA-03); Rick Boucher (VA-09); Allen Boyd (FL-02); Bobby Bright (AL-02); Dennis Cardoza (CA-18); Russ Carnahan (MO-03); Chris Carney (PA-10); Ben Chandler (KY-06); Travis Childers (MS-01); Gerry Connolly (VA-11); Jim Costa (CA-20); Mark Critz (PA-12); Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03); Joe Donnelly (IN-02); Steve Driehaus (OH-01); Chet Edwards (TX-17); Bob Etheridge (NC-02); Bill Foster (IL-14); Gabby Giffords (AZ-08); Alan Grayson (FL-08); John Hall (NY-19); Debbie Halvorson (IL-11); Martin Heinrich (NM-01); Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL); Baron Hill (IN-09); Jim Himes (CT-04); Maurice Hinchey (NY-22); Tim Holden (PA-17); Steve Kagen (WI-08); Paul Kanjorski (PA-11); Marcy Kaptur (OH-09); Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15); Ron Kind (WI-03); Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01); Larry Kissell (NC-08); Ron Klein (FL-22); Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24); Frank Kratovil (MD-01); Rick Larsen (WA-02); Dave Loebsack (IA-02); Dan Maffei (NY-25); Betsy Markey (CO-04); Jim Marshall (GA-08); Mike McIntyre (NC-07); Michael McMahon (NY-13); Jerry McNerney (CA-11); Walt Minnick (ID-01); Harry Mitchell (AZ-05); Chris Murphy (CT-05); Patrick Murphy (PA-08); Scott Murphy (NY-20); Bill Owens (NY-23); Ed Perlmutter (CO-07); Tom Perriello (VA-05); Gary Peters (MI-09); Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL); Nick Rahall (WV-03); Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23); John Salazar (CO-03) Loretta Sanchez (CA-47); Mark Schauer (MI-07); Kurt Schrader (OR-05); Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01); Heath Shuler (NC-11); Ike Skelton (MO-04); Zack Space (OH-18); John Spratt (SC-05); Betty Sutton (OH-13); Dina Titus (NV-03); Niki Tsongas (MA-05); Tim Walz (MN-01); David Wu (OR-01); Charlie Wilson (OH-06) and John Yarmuth (KY-03).

Hall Won’t Support an Up-or-Down Vote on Obama Tax Hike
Higher Taxes are Looming for Working Families and Small Businesses, but Hall Remains Silent

Washington- The days are counting down until Congress adjourns and John Hall has remained silent on supporting an up-or-down vote to spare working families and small businesses from the burdensome Obama tax hike. Americans are still reeling from the Democrats’ trillion-dollar stimulus that failed to create jobs and a reckless spending spree that led the nation into debt, yet House Democrats feel compelled to add to the problem with higher taxes. With only 40 days until the election, Hall’s failure to act is a clear sign that he’s more concerned with getting reelected than doing what’s best for the economy.

“It’s clear to New York families that John Hall and his Washington friends dropped the ball on reviving the economy, but to raise taxes in a recession is as out-of-touch as you can get,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “With middle-class families facing so much uncertainty in this dismal economy, the Democrats’ looming Obama tax hike would only make things worse. As the days run out before Congress adjourns, will Hall finally put hard-working families and small businesses first by supporting an up-or-down vote?”

The longer the out-of-touch majority waits to act, the more transparent their attempt to save face is becoming:

“Congressional Democrats are confronting deep divisions within their nervous ranks over whether to support President Barack Obama’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans — or just punt the entire matter until after voters go to the polls Nov. 2.

“Democratic leaders committed to Obama’s proposal were hearing Wednesday from endangered lawmakers who fear that raising taxes on anyone in a weak economy could be politically lethal.” (Laurie Kellman, “House Dems deeply divided over Obama tax plan,” Associated Press, 9/15/2010)

Sensing that Americans’ frustration has reached the point of no return, Democrat leaders will do everything they can to spin their failures as a success before Election Day.

“Democrats will make President Barack Obama’s $180 billion proposal to spur the economy and create jobs a top priority if they keep control of the House of Representatives on November 2, a party leader told the Reuters Washington Summit on Wednesday. Chris Van Hollen, head of the Democratic campaign effort in the House, predicted Democrats would retain a House majority in the elections and renew their focus on job growth. (John Whitesides and Thomas Ferraro, “Rep. Van Hollen: Job creation priority for Dems,” Reuters, 9/22/2010)

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