Etheridge Casts Deciding Vote for Higher Taxes

Yesterday, Bob Etheridge had a chance to vote against a tax increase. He didn’t. Then, he put an ad on TV accusing me of wanting to raise taxes.

Here’s what happened.:  On January 1st, every American income tax payer faces a tax increase. Millions of small businesses also face a tax increase and anyone who dies will have to pay a death tax of up to 55%.

All these tax increases are baked in the cake. They are on the books. Here’s the bottom line — according to independent number crunchers at the Tax Foundation, these tax increases will cost $1477 per middle class family in our district. In the middle of a recession. When families are struggling.

You might think Congress would cancel these huge tax increases — at least until the economy recovers. But this Pelosi Congress is tax crazy. When the Democratic leaders in the House moved to adjourn — without repealing the tax increase — a coalition of Republicans and Democrats said No and called for the House to stay in session and vote. They lost. By one vote.

By a vote of 210-209 Congress decided to quit, go home and adjourn — leaving a two thousand dollar tax increase in place. And who cast the decisive vote to keep the automatic tax increase on track? Congressman Bob Etheridge.

Then he aired a new TV ad accusing me of wanting to raise taxes.

Bob Etheridge’s vote demonstrates how far he is from the mainstream. Instead of joining thirty-nine of his fellow House Democrats who voted against adjournment so the tax issue could be settled before the recess, Etheridge once again voted with Nancy Pelosi.

In his fourteen years in Congress Bob Etheridge has voted for higher income tax rates, higher taxes on small business, marriage penalty taxes, against child tax credits and for higher taxes on dividends and capital gains.

Congressman Etheridge has voted to tax Social Security benefits and even tax unemployment benefits. Just last year, he voted for Obama’s eight hundred billion dollar national energy tax and six hundred billion in job killing taxes for Obamacare. And now he’s voted to adjourn Congress, leaving a $1477 tax increase staring working families in the face January 1st.

I have signed a no tax increase pledge. Bob Etheridge has not. I would have voted to stop the tax increase. Bob Etheridge did not.

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