Middle Class Makes their Voice Heard at Representative Woodall's Office
Lawrenceville – The Middle Class Tax Cuts First campaign, a coalition of small businesses and community organizations, came together outside of Representative Woodall’s office to demonstrate public support for extending tax cuts for the middle class and 97% of small businesses. The coalition, led by Georgia Fair Share, delivered 438 petition signatures from local residents and a letter signed by 42 local businesses and organizations in support of extending these tax cuts.
“Hundreds of citizens and dozens of local leaders have come together in the past few weeks to make one thing clear: this holiday season, the gift no one needs is a tax hike on the middle class,” said Jason Pfeifle, the field organizer with Georgia Fair Share.
The middle class tax cuts passed through the U.S. Senate reduce taxes on everyone’s first $250,000 of income for all Americans. Yesterday, President Obama offered to extend that cut up to the first $400,000 of income. They currently expire on December 31st of this year. President Obama took a major step towards compromise with Republican leadership on Monday, but some in Congress are still willing to hold the middle class tax cut hostage in order to preserve tax cuts for the richest Americans.
DeLane Adams, Communications Director for the Georgia AFL-CIO, read a statement issued by National AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: “Republicans are once again demanding benefit cuts to pay for tax cuts, and threatening to harm the economy unless they get their way.”
The middle class tax cuts are part of the debate about the “fiscal cliff” —a reference to the looming December 31st deadline for Congress to act on a set of issues that could devastate the economy. According to the National Economic Council, a typical family of four will see their taxes increase by $2,200 if the tax cuts expire. A Congressional Budget Office report has detailed further the serious impacts on the American economy if these cuts are not extended. This includes 1.6 million jobs that could be lost and a $200 billion cut to consumer spending. In addition, extending tax cuts for only the first $250,000 or $400,000 of income will save our country billions of dollars – money that Georgia Fair Share says could be spent creating jobs or reducing the deficit.
“Representative Woodall don’t be a Grinch this year, work with the President to extend the tax cuts for the middle class now,” said Jason Pfeifle.
