Blumenauer Statement on the Passage of the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010

Press Release

Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer released the following statement after voting for HR 4853, the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010.

"It is unfortunate that the major decision we faced on taxation this Congress boiled down to this vote. This situation represents a failure of imagination, a failure of political will, and -- sadly -- a failure to invest in our future. It represents the inability of Congress to seize an opportunity for real reform.

"If the message of the election was that we shouldn't add to our nation's debt, then we shouldn't extend tax cuts that will add trillions of dollars to that debt. If the issue is jobs, then we can have a much greater effect on employment by using a small portion of the money in question to fund a substantial transportation bill and beginning to address our nation's infrastructure deficit. If the election was about tax fairness, then we can do more for fairness by permanently eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax, which no billionaire pays, but which now threatens 29 million middle income families. While we are at it, we could permanently fix the physician payment issue.

"These are perennial challenges. Addressing them now will require far less debt, save money in the long run, and will avoid needless heartburn for millions of people right now. Instead, the political process is failing the American people as we face a choice between a sub-optimal bill and a bad bill. I voted for today's sub-optimal bill because the alternative was worse, but we can and should do better."

Source