Small Businesses Face Uncertainty As House Dems Refuse to Stop Obama Tax Hike

September 24, 2010

FYI, a version of the release below went out to the following districts: John Adler (NJ-03); Jason Altmire (PA-04); Michael Arcuri (NY-24); 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); Charlie Wilson (OH-06); David Wu (OR-01); and John Yarmuth (KY-03).
Small Businesses Face Uncertainty As Edwards Refuses to Stop Obama Tax Hike
With Election Day in Sight, Vulnerable Democrats Refuse to Listen to American People on Devastating Tax Increases

Washington- One week is left until Congress is scheduled to adjourn and the White House and Democrat leaders have acknowledged that a Congressional vote on the Obama tax hike may be dead. House Democrats like Chet Edwards have neglected to listen to the American people who are pleading for their support to spare working families and small businesses from the devastating Obama tax hike. The country is still suffering under the consequences of the Democrats’ failed economic agenda from the past two years – but now vulnerable Democrats like Edwards who refuse to make working families and small businesses their priority can add the Obama tax hike to the lengthy record of job-killing policies they will be forced to defend before Election Day.

“Chet Edwards’ refusal to stop the Obama tax hikes on working families and small businesses is a clear sign that he is out of touch with the priorities of Americans who are struggling in this economy,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “With the country still reeling from the Democrats’ trillion-dollar stimulus that failed to create jobs and reckless spending spree that led the nation into debt, Chet Edwards’ support for the Obama tax hike will just add to the long list of failed policies that he will be forced to defend between now and Election Day.”

Democrat leaders themselves have said that they will most likely punt on the Obama tax hike before the midterm elections:

“Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Thursday he saw no reason for the House to hold a vote on extending Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class before the midterm elections…”

‘…We don’t need to have a vote to let the American people know where we stand.’” (Kathleen Hunter, “Hoyer: Tax-Cut Vote Could Wait Until After Elections, Roll Call, 09/23/10)

The White House has also acknowledged that a Congressional vote on the Obama tax hike is dead:
“The White House is now acknowledging that the Congressional vote on the middle class tax cuts is unlikely to happen before the elections, effectively moving on to the next phase of this debate, now that Congressional Dems had already pretty much decided the vote was dead.” (Greg Sargent, “White House acknowledges vote on middle class tax cuts may be dead — squarely blames GOP,” Washington Post, 09/23/10)

Despite the decision of Democrat leaders to punt on the Obama tax hike, vulnerable Democrats refusal to address this issue will haunt them until Election Day.
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