Posted on 12/29/2001 10:17:03 AM PST by Clintons Are White Trash
WASHINGTON- Rep. David Bonior said Saturday that the spirit of bipartisanship in Congress that emerged after the terrorist attacks collapsed when Republicans "tried to leave working people behind."
In the Democratic Party's weekly radio address, Bonior said agreement over legislation to jump-start the economy failed because it was weighted toward corporate tax breaks and did nothing to improve health care.
"When we grant $25 billion in retroactive tax rebates to big corporations at a time when hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers are being laid off, people are going to stand up and say 'this is wrong,'" said Bonior, of Michigan.
Bonior said that after success this past year passing resolutions to deal with terrorism and setting new environmental standards, votes to grant President Bush trade promotion authority "ruptured the tremendous spirit of unity."
Trade promotion authority, or "fast track," gives the president the power to negotiate trade agreements that Congress can accept or reject but cannot change.
The House passed trade promotion authority by a highly partisan 215-214 vote earlier this month. Democrats strongly opposed the bill, saying it didn't adequately protect labor rights and the environment in future trade talks.
"It's working people who take it on the chin during rocky economic times," Bonior said. "In Congress the battles were fierce because Republicans tried to leave working people behind."
With W's polls running levels never before seen and the Repub's talking straight with the Ameican people I feel rather comfortable that there will be a backlash against the Dems come November of 02. Maybe not a landslide but there will be a backlash...
If they're working, they are earning a living and shouldn't need any government intervention/interference (not that the Fed Goverment should be messing with the issue at all, except for lowerering taxes).
Bonior is somewhat right. Sometimes it is the working class that takes it on the chin during bad times. So what? Sometimes its business owners that take it on the chin, sometimes even losing their business. Someone needs to ask Bonior what part of the constitution gives him and his ilke the power to play Robin Hood.
And the democrats know it.
But they will get it because they never ever give up.
As a Republican wife who is married to an unemployed Republican man, I can honestly say the Republicans haven't left working people behind.
He is just unemployed at the moment. Big deal. He will get another job. Give corporations more tax breaks so they can afford to hire him and can afford to offer better insurance for his family. I don't want any help from a Democrat, or a Republican, or the government. Leave us alone. No one left us behind. If we honestly thought Democrats could help us, we would vote for them. I have little tolerance for Democrats trying to help people at my tax $$$ expense. I have even less tolerance for people who want or demand help. Get up of your lazy butt and make some money just like we are doing. If you want help from a Democrat they will give it to you with a ball and chain attached. Democrats are slave keepers.
AAAAAAARGH!
They were NOT "tax breaks" or "retroactive rebates" or anything of the sort. They were essentially "fines" which corporations received for not making big enough profits!!! (Or coporations whose profits didn't cover their investments.) These payments under the "alternative minimum tax" would have almost certainly been returned to corporations anyway. The Republicans in the house simply wanted to return them at a time when they are most needed, consequent to repealing what even Democrats thought (before it was once again in their interest to alter reality) was a bad law. Why isn't the truth on this being presented? Please email the following WSJ editorial on the subject. This tax still needs to be repealed (along with elimination or reduction of capital gains and ACROSS THE BOARD accelertion in the reduction of marginal rates).
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