–House Minority Leader Pelosi Continues To Hammer GOP on Tax Policy
–Need ‘Nonpartisan,’ And ‘Comprehensive’ Tax Reform
–Need Added Revenues To Replace Across-The-Board Spend Cuts
By John Shaw
WASHINGTON (MNI) – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Thursday
continued to scorch congressional Republicans for seeking to renew all
Bush era tax cuts, saying this tax regime “took us to a near Depression”
in 2008 and 2009.
At a briefing, Pelosi said the House should approve the tax bill
that was approved by the Senate last week which would extend those Bush
era tax cuts to those families making $250,000 or less for a year.
The Senate approve the bill by a narrow 51 to 48 vote.
The House voted Wednesday to approve Republican legislation to
renew all Bush era tax cuts for another year. The House approved the GOP
tax cut bill on a 255-to-171 vote.
Earlier in the day, the House rejected the Democratic plan to
extend Bush era tax cuts only for those families making $250,000 or
less. The Democratic plan was defeated on an 170-to-257 vote.
Pelosi said the GOP tax plan forces a fiscal confrontation with
President Obama and propels the nation toward the fiscal cliff at the
end of the year.
“We don’t have to go that close to the end of the cliff,” Pelosi
said.
Pelosi blasted the bill the House will vote on Thursday that would
create an expedited process for considering tax reform next year.
She said the GOP’s approach to tax reform is deeply unfair and
should be set aside. “This has to be a bipartisan — nonpartisan
really,” Pelosi said.
“You have to do it comprehensively,” she said.
Pelosi said Democrats continue to believe that the $110
billion in scheduled across-the-board spending cuts set for the 2013
fiscal year should be replaced by a balanced plan that includes new tax
revenues.
“You got to have revenues on the table to make this work,” she
said.
Congress is scheduled to begin its August recess on Friday and
return on Sept 10.
** MNI Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **
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