Where I Stand: Tax Cuts for the Middle Class

Supporting Tax Cuts for the Middle Class

• I support immediately extending tax cuts for middle class families.
• I believe we need to find the right balance between extending the Bush era tax cuts to the middle class and controlling the exploding federal deficit and debt.
• Under my tax relief proposal, 100% of small businesses and families with incomes under $250,000 will continue to enjoy the tax cuts they have today, which includes 30 million tax filers who report small business income and 97% of all small businesses and S corporations will not pay a penny more due to letting these upper-income tax rates expire.

Fighting to Control the Debt

• I heard a loud and clear message from folks in Northwest Washington this fall- “get control of the debt” and that is why I cannot support a proposal that will add $700 billion to the national debt just to give tax breaks to those who earn over $250,000.
• Controlling the debt also means controlling spending. The annual deficit, that is still too large, fell $125 billion in the last twelve months and is expected to drop over another $260 billion in the next year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Working to Change the Way Congress Manages the Budget

• I believe Congress needs to keep this momentum going by controlling the growth of government and reigning in spending. I'm fighting to change the way Congress works in managing the federal budget. 
• I support adhering to statutory “pay-as-you-go” to hold Congress accountable by requiring that any spending increases are offset by savings elsewhere in the budget.
• I also back a freeze on all general non-defense spending in the budget and voted to suspend Congressional pay increases.

Click here to read my interview with Kyung Song of the Seattle Times on my view of tax cuts.