Carney signs petition to force vote on extension of middle-class tax cuts
WASHINGTON — Congressman John Carney (D-DE) today signed a discharge petition, which if signed by 218 members would force a vote on an extension of the middle-class tax cuts:
“Today, I signed a discharge petition in an attempt to force a vote in the House on an extension of the middle-class tax cuts before they expire at the end of the year.
“The debate surrounding the fiscal cliff is not related to the middle-class tax cuts — it’s related to extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and hard choices about where to cut spending. Almost everyone agrees that an extension of the current tax rates for 98 percent of Americans is the right policy moving forward. The disagreement is on what the tax rates should be for incomes over $250,000 a year, which only affects two percent of earners.
“I am hopeful that we can find 25 Republicans to join us in signing this petition. There is much more that needs to be done to pass a comprehensive fiscal plan, but this is one area on which the vast majority of my colleagues agree.”
That’s a fairly good point. If everyone in Congress agrees that the middle class should be able to continue to enjoy absurdly low rates – why don’t the Republicans seize this opportunity for the bi-partisanship high ground they are always crying about?
Oh wait. I forgot. Bipartisanship means Democrats voting for Republican bills.