Will Target Dems Back Small Business Tax to Pay for Government Healthcare Takeover?

July 8, 2009

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); John Barrow (GA-12); Tim Bishop (NY-01); John Boccieri (OH-16); Rick Boucher (VA-09); Allen Boyd (FL-02); Bruce Braley (IA-01); Bobby Bright (AL-02); Chris Carney (PA-10); Travis Childers (MS-01); Gerry Connolly (VA-11); Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03); Joe Donnelly (IN-02); Steve Driehaus (OH-01); Chet Edwards (TX-17); Brad Ellsworth (IN-08); Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08); Bart Gordon (TN-06); Alan Grayson (FL-08); Debbie Halvorson (IL-11); Martin Heinrich (NM-01); Baron Hill (IN-09); Jim Himes (CT-04); Steve Kagen (WI-08); Paul Kanjorski (PA-11); 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); Dave Loebsack (IA-02); Dan Maffei (NY-25); Betsy Markey (CO-04); Jim Marshall (GA-08); Eric Massa (NY-29); Michael McMahon (NY-13); Jerry McNerney (CA-11); Charlie Melancon (LA-03); Walt Minnick (ID-01); Harry Mitchell (AZ-05); Dennis Moore (KS-03); Glenn Nye (VA-02); Tom Perriello (VA-05); Gary Peters (MI-09); Chellie Pingree (ME-01); Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23); Loretta Sanchez (CA-47); Mark Schauer (MI-07); Kurt Schrader (OR-05); Heath Shuler (NC-11); Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01); Vic Snyder (AR-02) Zack Space (OH-18); Bart Stupak (MI-01); Harry Teague (NM-02); Dina Titus (NV-03); Tim Walz (MN-01) and John Yarmuth (KY-03).

Will Mark Schauer Back Small Business Tax to Pay for Government Healthcare Takeover?
Party Bosses Come Calling Again to Pay for Another Budget-Busting Job Killer

Washington– After refusing to face reality for weeks, Democrat leaders will finally have to admit that there is only one way to fund their massive government healthcare takeover: more taxes. After the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office scored the proposal at a whopping $1.5 trillion, top Democrats in Washington have begun to wheel out plans for new taxes as they scramble to come up with a way to pay for a bill that will raise costs and eliminate patients’ available health care options. As party bosses prepare to come calling once again, Mark Schauer will feel the heat to back another massive tax hike.

“Mark Schauer must answer a very simple question: Will he support a tax on small businesses to pay for the Democrats’ government takeover of the healthcare industry?” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Schauer simply cannot have it both ways – he can choose to stand with middle-class Michigan families or he will cave to his party bosses with a vote to raise taxes on small business, force millions of Americans off of their current coverage, and potentially destroy five million American jobs. “

After Democrats unveiled their reckless health care plan last month, they remained tight-lipped about plans to pay for it. But now, Schauer’s party bosses have begun to leak their plans to pay for a government healthcare takeover. Unsurprisingly, they feature tax hikes as the centerpiece:

“As House Democrats work to finalize their healthcare overhaul discussion draft, sources say CBO has individually scored provisions of the legislation that together approach a total of $1.5 trillion.

“Sources also said House Ways and Means Democrats plan to help pay for the bill by raising taxes on people earning $250,000 or more and taxing sugary beverages.

“The tax on sugary drinks is expected to raise about $50 billion. A previous Ways and Means paper revealed Democrats were considering raising taxes on the wealthy through a 2 percent surtax that would raise $256 billion.” (Anna Edney, “Sources Say House Bill At $1.5 Trillion,” CongressDaily, 7/7/09)

With his party bosses breathing down his neck to fund their $1.5 trillion bill with another tax hike, will Mark Schauer stand up for Michigan families or cave under pressure?
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