Dec 18, 2011

Don’t Be Fooled: House Republicans Still Oppose Payroll Tax Cut Extension

This weekend, NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions re-affirmed his belief that protecting 160 million middle income Americans from a $1,000 tax increase by extending the payroll tax cut is a “bad idea.” Sessions had said it was a “horrible idea” when asked about it in September.

THIS WEEKEND: On Bloomberg’s Political Capital, host Al Hunt asked Sessions, “You just - back in September, you called the payroll tax a ‘horrible idea’ and said your candidates would have no difficulty explaining why they want the tax to expire, the tax holiday. Why - why the change of mind?” Sessions replied “Well, I didn’t change my mind. It is a bad idea.” [Bloomberg, 12/16/11]

IN SEPTEMBER: “Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, who heads the House Republican campaign committee, called Obama’s plan ‘a horrible idea.’ He said GOP candidates would have no difficulty explaining to voters why they want to let the tax break expire.” [LA Times, 9/9/11]

EXAMPLES OF OTHER HOUSE REPUBLICANS OPPOSING A PAYROLL TAX CUT

Republican Leader Eric Cantor (VA-07). Republican Leader Cantor “has never believed that this type of temporary tax relief is the best way to grow the economy.” [AP, 8/22/11]

Republican Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (WI-01). House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan “rejected the idea of making further short-term changes to the payroll tax” and called payroll tax cuts “sugar-high economics.” [The Hill, 6/16/11]

Republican Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (MI-04). “I’m not in favor of that. I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Camp said of extending the payroll tax cut. “We need a more overarching approach to our tax policy,” Camp said, calling the payroll tax holiday “piecemeal.” [The Hill, 8/14/11]

Representative Allen West (FL-22). “We’ve tried the payroll tax cuts. You get a short term bon-bon but it doesn’t give you anything long term sustainable economic growth and job growth,” said West. [YouTube, uploaded 9/9/11]

Representative Scott DesJarlais (TN-04). DesJarlais “said he wasn’t convinced Obama’s offer of extending payroll tax cuts would be in the best interests of his constituents—despite the president’s claim it would put an average of $1,270 back in the pockets of working Tennesseans. ‘Payroll tax cuts sound good, until you see that he's cutting social security payroll tax cuts,’ DesJarlais said during a phone interview. ‘I’m usually for cutting taxes, but he’s cutting the wrong taxes.’” [Nooga.com, 9/19/11]

Representative Charlie Bass (NH-02). Bass rejected considering extending the payroll tax cut, claiming it had already been tried. [Union Leader, 9/9/11]

Representative Bob Turner (NY-09). “Republican congressional candidate Bob Turner came out yesterday against President Obama’s proposal to extend the payroll-tax cut.” [NY Post, 8/31/11]

Representative Dan Benishek (MI-01). Benishek said that he was “not in favor” of the portion of President Obama’s jobs proposal that would cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and small business by asking Americans making over $1 million per year to pay the same tax rate as the middle class. “I completely agree with the free trade agreements. The temporary tax breaks for the payroll tax balanced by a permanent tax increase on employers - I’m not in favor of that,” Benishek said regarding the Obama’s proposal. [Escanaba Daily Press, 11/08/11; Office of Management and Budget, 9/11]

Representative Tim Walberg (MI-07). According to Bloomberg, Walberg said of the Democratic proposal to impose a 3.25 percent surtax on millionaires to pay for an extension of the payroll tax cut, “the tax cut is a short-term patch that saves lawmakers from tackling the more fundamental fiscal problems the U.S. is facing.” [Bloomberg, 12/02/11]

Representative Raul Labrador (ID-01). Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador told KBOI’s Nate Shelman there are risks to extending payroll tax cuts because that money goes to vital services rather than the general budget: “These are tax cuts that are going to paying future Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security commitments that we have in the United States.” [KBOI, 12/6/11]

Representative David McKinley (WV-01). McKinley issued a statement opposing the extending the payroll tax cut, claiming it will do nothing to encourage job growth. [McKinley Press Release, 7/7/11]

Representative David Schweikert (AZ-05). In 2011, Schweikert argued against a payroll tax cut extension because he said it would add to the national debt. Calling it a “very dangerous policy,” Schweikert wrote: “A temporary payroll tax holiday, without any mention of tax reform, is no more than a Washington stimulus that increases our national debt.” [U.S. News and World Report, Op-ed, 12/2/11]

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