(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted to block
providing tax cuts to all but the very wealthiest Americans. In back-to-back
votes, Republicans voted against tax cuts for families and small businesses,
extending unemployment insurance for workers hurt by the recession, and
providing tax fairness for Washington families by extending the state sales tax
deduction.
“Today Senate Republicans showed their true colors. After a
campaign year filled with promises of debt reduction, cutting taxes, and
helping small businesses, when Republicans were given the chance to do all
three at once, they said no. Instead, they decided to put millionaires before
the middle class.
“Middle class Washington families and small businesses have been
squeezed by this recession and we need to do everything possible to get them
the tax relief they need. I’m extremely disappointed that Republicans are
holding the support they need hostage in order to give costly tax cuts to
millionaires that don’t create jobs.
“Getting our country back on its feet is going to take shared
sacrifice, smart investments, and tough but necessary budget cuts. Today
Republicans wasted a golden opportunity to make real progress by drawing
a line in the sand on behalf of the very wealthiest Americans.
“They also wasted an opportunity to extend the state sales tax
deduction that so many Washington state families rely on to put money back in
their pocket, and to provide unemployment benefits to thousands of Washington
state workers who have lost their jobs in this recession and are struggling to
put food on the table this holiday season.
“Middle class families can’t afford for the help they need to be
held hostage and we cannot afford to continue wasting opportunities to take
meaningful action to reduce our debt.”
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