[Brandybux]

And, any such voluntary contributions by citizens to pay down the debt would NOT be deductible from one's income. If you gave away all your income to pay down the debt, you'd still have to pay all the income taxes.

[bgill]

Same with the volunatry $5 presidential fund that isn’t deducted from your taxes. No thanks to either.

[cranked]

Part of that ongoing share the pain or share the wealth progressive/socialist campaign.... =.=

[ransacked]

Mega barf alert...

[ScottinVA]

If just a dozen Congress members out of 435 are pushing this, it isn’t “Congress wants automatic wage deductions...”

That’s about as poorly and falsely written a headline I’ve seen in some time.

(BTW, this isn’t directed at you, Brandybux, but the author of the story)

[11th Commandment]

This is the best idea I have ever heard!! Finally a way for all the elitists, hollywooders and othe do-gooders to voluntarily increase their taxes. I am sure they are lining up as we blog!

[JudgemAll]

I’m waiting for Congress to roll back their own pay and benefit raises... The arrogance of these liberals on welfare knows no bounds.

This is a scheme to identify those protesting taxes or something.

[Roccus]

We’re gonna end up with a tax surcharge to pay it down just as we did under LBJ to help him pay for that war. IIRC that one was 10%

[Baynative]

I heard that in Massachusetts people have had the opportunity to pay a higher level of taxes for years and almost no one does; not the Kennedys, not Barney Frank and not John Kerry who served in Vietnam.

[Sir Napsalot]

>>> Congress wants automatic wage deductions to pay down the debt

(1) Who ever invented that ‘automatic wage deduction’ should be dug up and beaten to death again and again.

(2) Backdoor waivers issued to favored groups, I’ll bet.

[dalereed]

I won’t ever voluntarily give one cent to government for any reason!

[Billthedrill]

Anyone can voluntarily donate to the Treasury to pay down the debt right now, without any legislation, and yes, you can do it through payroll deduction if your employer supports that. But at least we haven't reached a pass in this country where the federal government takes an involuntary payroll deduction from the wor

Oh, wait.

[rhombus]

Becuase those corporate jet owners couldn’t figure out how to give away money to the Treasury??? What a friggin’ waste of time.

[KarlInOhio]

I guess this new plan is for people who are too lazy to do it themselves.

From Frequently Asked Questions about the Public Debt

How do you make a contribution to reduce the debt?

There are two ways for you to make a contribution to reduce the debt:

• You can make a contribution online either by credit card, checking or savings account at Pay.gov
• You can write a check payable to the Bureau of the Public Debt, and in the memo section, notate that it's a Gift to reduce the Debt Held by the Public. Mail your check to:
  
  Attn Dept G
  Bureau of the Public Debt
  P. O. Box 2188
  Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188

In fiscal year 2010 a total of $2,840,466.75 was donated. That's about 0.00002% of the government debt. Woo-hoo, what a windfall.

[SMARTY]

ROBBERY! PERIOD.

[moovova]

ALL Republicans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. CRAWFORD (for himself, Mr. TIBERI, Mr. FINCHER, Mr. LANDRY, Mr. DENHAM, Mr. DOLD, Mr. FLORES, Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan, Mr. PALAZZO, and Mr. GUINTA)

WTF???

We ain't got a chance...

[Wuli]

We are absolutely certain that Bill Gates, his dad, Warren Buffet and George Soros will be the first to sign up for this “patriotic” voluntary program and pledge the majority of their annual income to it, reserving only a few paltry millions for living expenses!!! /sarc

[PGR88]

[Little Ray]

Is this voluntary like checking the donation box on your Federal tax form, or is it “voluntary” like paying income taxes altogether?

[camle]

i have a better idear - you know them boxes you can check on your tax forms directing a buck or two to the presidential election matching funds thing? hows about being able to earmark all or part of your tax return to paying on the debt? you can incentivise this by allowing you to deduct twice the amount you earmark on next years taxes...

[hflynn]

I think these 12 Congressmen (All Republicans) are introducing this legislation to make a point. The point is that nobody wants to see more money taken out of their paychecks. Democrats would have to vote against the bill or explain in 2012 why 4 people in the entire country signed up for volunteered deductions from their paychecks.