Posted on 12/01/2010 7:53:33 AM PST by Uncledave
All 42 Senate Republicans have signed on to a letter expressing the caucus’s intentions to block any legislation until the expiration of current tax rates is addressed.
Full letter:
Dear Leader Reid,
The nation’s unemployment level, stuck near 10 percent, is unacceptable to Americans. Senate Republicans have been urging Congress to make private-sector job creation a priority all year. President Obama in his first speech after the November election said “we owe” it to the American people to “focus on those issues that affect their jobs.” He went on to say that Americans “want jobs to come back faster.” Our constituents have repeatedly asked us to focus on creating an environment for private-sector job growth; it is time that our constituents’ priorities become the Senate’s priorities.
For that reason, we write to inform you that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers. With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate’s attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike.
Given our struggling economy, preventing the tax increase and providing economic certainty should be our top priority. Without Congressional action by December 31, all American taxpayers will be hit by an increase in their individual income-tax rates and investment income through the capital gains and dividend rates. If Congress were to adopt the President’s tax proposal to prevent the tax increase for only some Americans, small businesses would be targeted with a job-killing tax increase at the worst possible time. Specifically, more than 750,000 small businesses will see a tax increase, which will affect 50 percent of small-business income and nearly 25 percent of the entire workforce. The death tax rate will also climb from zero percent to 55 percent, which makes it the top concern for America’s small businesses. Republicans and Democrats agree that small businesses create most new jobs, so we ought to be able to agree that raising taxes on small businesses is the wrong remedy in this economy. Finally, Congress still needs to act on the “tax extenders” and the alternative minimum tax “patch,” all of which expired on December 31, 2009.
We look forward to continuing to work with you in a constructive manner to keep the government operating and provide the nation’s small businesses with economic certainty that the job-killing tax hike will be prevented.
I hope it takes them a looooooonnnng time, long enough to put a stake through the heart of the DREAM Act. A stalemate would be sweet.
What? No television volume control legislation?
Sigh...
YES!!!!!!!!!
I was hoping the Senate GOP would show both guts and party-unity during the lame duck session. On occasion even RINOs are helpful (which is why they are to be preferred to ‘Rats under the general voting instructions: vote against the RINO in the primary, against the ‘Rat in the general).
Whatever. They just passed the Farm Bill, with a lot of republican support.
Better known as growing a set of Palins.
President Obama in his first speech after the November election said “we owe” it to the American people to “focus on those issues that affect their jobs.” He went on to say that Americans “want jobs to come back faster.”
Nice slapdown of Dems using tea bags (/snix).
Our constituents have repeatedly asked us to focus on creating an environment for private-sector job growth; it is time that our constituents’ priorities become the Senate’s priorities.
Also, what we REALLY need is an across-the-board tax cut, not just voting to keep the current tax rates.
Yeah, this is one of those better late than never things. No more legislation by lame ducks.
Sounds to me as if Dingy Harry will let the government shut down on Friday.
Now dat’s what I’m talkin bout.
“I hope it takes them a looooooonnnng time, long enough to put a stake through the heart of the DREAM Act.”
And the START treaty....
(STILL thinking about the transfer of uranium from WY mines to Russia by the NRC......unbelievable!!!)
Plugging in the popcorn maker...
I’ll believe it when I see it.
“Whatever. They just passed the Farm Bill, with a lot of republican support.”
Really, I will think of this moment when the revenuers storm my tomato patch this coming summer and think good job Mitch.
Wish they’d have done this to SB 510, but I’ll take it.
conveniently after they pass the GMO bill yesterday giving government control to our food supply.
I wonder how that will fly over time. A huge number of libs are very protective of the ‘eat local’ movement: farmer’s markets, CSA’s and such - and consider the Monsantos of the world evil organizations (and I’m not sure I entirely disagree on that point).
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