Will Dems Cave to Party Leaders By Opposing Union-Backed Jobs and Raising Taxes on Middle-Class Families?

December 12, 2011

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04), Ben Chandler (KY-06), Mark Critz (PA-12), Dave Loebsack (IA-02), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Louise Slaughter (NY-28), Betty Sutton (OH-13), Tim Walz (MN-01)

Will Altmire Cave to Party Leaders By Opposing Union-Backed Jobs and Raising Taxes on Pennsylvania Families?
Pennsylvania Democrat Faces Pressure From Party Leadership to Oppose Payroll Tax Package That Includes Keystone XL Project Supported by Labor Groups

Washington — Jason Altmire and his fellow House Democrats face a difficult decision later this week when a vote will be conducted on the Middle Class Relief and Job Creation Act. President Obama and Altmire’s House Democrat leaders are strongly opposing this payroll tax cut extension package simply because it would also expedite approval of the widely popular Keystone XL pipeline project that has significant labor support because it would immediately create 20,000 highly-skilled jobs. If Altmire bends to pressure from radical environmentalist groups and opposes this package, he will have voted to raise taxes on every middle-class working American and further delay a popular project that would create thousands of quality jobs.

“As if it weren’t enough that Jason Altmire’s Democrat leaders are prepared to raise taxes on every single middle-class family in America, they also are prepared to oppose a widely popular energy project that would immediately create 20,000 jobs,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “If Altmire bends to pressure from radical activists and votes for more taxes and fewer jobs for middle-class families in Pennsylvania, it would demonstrate just how out of touch he is with what his constituents want.”

President Obama recently decided to delay the Keystone XL pipeline to appease the Democrats’ radical anti-jobs activist base:

“Environmental groups have been protesting the pipeline that would run from Alberta oil sands to Texas refineries, and there have been rumblings that greens would abandon Obama next fall if he approved it. At the same time, labor unions have backed the pipeline, arguing that it would create badly needed jobs for American workers…

“The pipeline has the support of many Republicans in Congress and also major labor unions like the Teamsters, Laborers’ International Union of North America and segments of the AFL-CIO.” (Dan Berman and Darren Goode, “Obama punts Keystone XL pipeline,” Politico, 11/10/11)

Democrats are currently in disarray as they try to spin their job-destroying priorities:

“The White House and congressional Democratic leaders are of one mind in opposing Republican efforts to combine the Keystone XL oil pipeline in a year-end payroll tax holiday and unemployment insurance bill.

“But the question is less clear-cut for dozens of Democrats that have backed quick approval of the project in the past.” (Darren Goode, “Dems’ Keystone-payroll tax dilemma,” Politico, 12/8/11)

The Keystone XL pipeline would immediately create 20,000 jobs and potentially create more than a hundred thousand more:

“Many of those 20,000 jobs on the construction of the pipeline would have been filled by skilled union members. Eventually, the completed pipeline was expected to result in as many as 130,000 jobs…” (Editorial, “Keystone pipeline delay is the wrong call,” Houston Chronicle, 11/11/10)

Jason Altmire is under increasing pressure from his out-of-touch Democrat leaders in Washington who would prefer that he vote to raise taxes on all working families and stop job creation in its tracks. If Altmire also blocks job creation and raises taxes on middle-class families simply to appease radical Democrat activists, it would demonstrate how different his Washington priorities are from his constituents in Pennsylvania.

Will Dems Cave to Party Leaders By Opposing Union-Backed Jobs and Raising Taxes on Middle-Class Families? http://ow.ly/7WLPR #madeinwdc

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