Heinrich to White House: "Don't Back Down"
Press Release
In response to President Obama's deal on the Bush tax cuts, U.S. Representative Martin Heinrich signed a letter initiated by Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) to Speaker Pelosi opposing Republican demands to extend tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. The letter states: "We support extending tax cuts in full to 98 percent of American taxpayers, as the President initially proposed. He should not back down. Nor should we."
Rep. Heinrich has consistently advocated for securing the future of the middle class and ignoring the temptation to pile on to the deficit as the right thing to do. Rep. Heinrich supports extending middle-class tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year, and opposing Republicans demands to extend tax breaks for the ultra-rich. Rep. Heinrich said last week in a statement, "We can't pay down the Bush administration's debt and fund critical programs like Medicare and Social Security if we're writing checks for $900 billion to the richest Americans like Donald Trump and Tiger Woods. Anybody who's ever balanced a family checkbook can see through the Republicans' wild claims."
The full text of the letter is copied below and the PDF is available, here.
Dear Madam Speaker,
We oppose acceding to Republican demands to extend the Bush tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires for two reasons.
First, it is fiscally irresponsible. Adding more than $900 billion to our national debt, as this proposal would do, handcuffs our ability to offer a balanced plan to achieve fiscal stability without a punishing effect on our current commitments, including Social Security and Medicare.
Second, it is grossly unfair. This proposal will hurt, not help, the majority of Americans in the middle class and those working hard to get there. Even as Republicans seek to add billions more to our national debt in tax cuts to the wealthy, they oppose extending unemployment benefits to workers and resist COLA increases to seniors.
Without a doubt, the very same people who support this addition to our debt will oppose raising the debt ceiling to pay for it.
We support extending tax cuts in full to 98 percent of American taxpayers, as the President initially proposed. He should not back down. Nor should we.
Sincerely,
MARTIN HEINRICH
Member of Congress
Source