Congressman Harris released the following statement on the legislation addressing the fiscal cliff.
“Unfortunately, the legislation endorsed by the President increases taxes by $40 for every $1 in spending cuts, raises taxes on 77 percent of Americans, and continues corporate cronyism by providing billions in tax breaks to special interests. I opposed this legislation that increases taxes on 77 percent of people in my district. This bill is business as usual in Washington and does nothing to deal with the real fiscal cliff – our 16.4 trillion dollar deficit. In fact, it adds almost 4 trillion dollars to the debt. ”
The legislation allowed the payroll tax holiday to expire and thus 77 percent of Americans will pay an average of almost $1,000 more in taxes in 2013 than in 2012.
The corporate tax loopholes extended in this bill include a who’s who of special interests:
· $12.1billion for wind energy production
· $248million for Hollywood movie productions
· $222million for Puerto Rican rum
· $78million for race track facilities
· $62million for corporate interests in Samoa
So that’s your spin huh? It’s astonishing that any of you morons would have the balls to actually raise taxes on anybody, let alone on 77% of Americans.
Oh wait, yeah a little further down you actually included real information (rare!), which is that the “payroll tax holiday” was allowed to expire, causing increased payroll taxes on that 77%– who by the way, were paying those taxes already BEFORE OBAMA CAME UP WITH A PLAN to lower them, and now will just go back to paying the normal rates.
And what don’t you understand about a “holiday”, do you think it’s permanent? Kinda like your brain is on permanent vacation from your body?
Because you obviously don’t remember that YOU VOTED NOT TO EXTEND THE PAYROLL TAX CUTS YOURSELF back on February 17, 2012 HR3630:
MD 1 Rep. Andrew P. ‘Andy’ Harris Republican Nay
Courtesy of Project Vote Smart, everyone can google it for themselves if they like.
Pot meet the kettle, you deceptive, hyprocrytical, despicable excuse for a Congressman.
Mr. Harris, you are not even my Rep, but you are by a WIDE MARGIN the absolutely dumbest Congressman I have seen around here in years, and your press releases and voting record prove it without question.
Well, I suppose I am being a little too harsh, because it would be worse if you actually wrote or read your press releases, when I am pretty sure you have some well-intended 20-something who gets the glorious job of inserting your name at the top of the GOP PR memos that get emailed to your office.
Please, people of the 1st, get this guy out next time. Isn’t there some Republican willing to step up and save the day??
All that said, yes, this “deal” is just more sham politics from all parties, all of which have nothing to celebrate here. It’s like congratulating White Star for remembering to put life boats on the Titanic.
I couldn’t have said it better noble (except maybe in a short “sweet” way like….”Hey Andy, take your tea bag and steep it where the sun doesn’t shine”) 🙂
Thye whole establishment in DC needs to go. We continue to increase the takings from producers to give to non-producers in the idiotic mindset that this will make the non-producers more productive. At some point, which I fear we are well past, the system will collapse and those that have become dependent on government will be completely unable to support themselves.
The Payroll Tax Holiday was a $1 for $1 loan from Social Security to the General Fund that by law has to be paid back — $1 for $1. Why NOT stop running up the bill now? Once it got too big, somebody inevitably would have had the “bright idea” of waiving the obligation to repay Social Security… Are we seriously at the point where we’re advocating NOT protecting Social Security Contributions. Strange days, indeed!
Nice twist. The increase in taxes on 77% is because payroll taxes are set to go back to 6.2% where they’ve pretty much been forever except the past 2 years when they were cut to 4.2%, which was supposed to be for 1 year, but was extended for an additional year and now because the budget is such a disaster (when is the last time Congress actually passed a complete budget anyway?) it didn’t get extended again (and as someone else pointed out…YOU voted against extending it last year.)
If you want to be “responsible” then pass a realistic budget, tell Norquist to go pound sand, raise taxes a little bit, and cut spending. Our budget problems are not remotely fixable through spending cuts alone. While your at it, cut all U.S. Representatives’ and U.S. Senators’ pay to minimum wage, use Medicaid as your health insurance, and if you can’t pass a budget then first thing that should be eliminated is ALL pay and benefits for Congressmen. Basically go do your damn job instead of spending most of your term campaigning for the next election.
If I did as piss poor of a job as Congress has for years I would’ve long since been fired and I’m in a union.
We already pay to many taxes. There is so much fraud, waste, duplication and corruption in the government that no amount of taxes will ever be enough (as seen by the deficit).We could get rid of Sally Mae, Freddie Mac, the FHA, HUD, the fed education dept., aid to many nonprofits ( like ACORN), stop foreign aid except to our close allies,close our military bases in Europe and crack down on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid fraud. But no. We put the same idiots back in office time after time and expect different results. Hey, maybe we’re the real idiots.
@ Hydesmann – not one original thought in that whole post. Well done.
Tin Foil Hat Time. Compared to the rest of the world which has more services provided by their governments than the US, we pay a pittance in taxes. And if you really feel this strongly about taxes, I would urge you to move to Somalia where I am sure you won’t have to pay for that damn pesky infrastructure that requires so much money to maintain.
The $4 trillion increase in the deficit is because the Congressional Budget Office was counting on all of the Bush tax cuts expiring, not just the ones on the rich, and that adds up to $4 trillion total. Since Congressman Harris doesn’t want to raise the deficit, is he endorsing the CBO’s expectation that all taxes should go up?
Keep spinning the Tea Party talking points that have no basis in reality. The only reason you are still in office getting rich and set for life is because the Dems did a lousy job vetting their candidate. Your statements prove over and over you are out of touch with everyday Americans, don’t bother to research information before opening your mouth, and are only in this for personal financial gain.
Andy Harris voted to drive the US economy off the cliff solely because the legislation prevents him from getting a pay raise to accompany his govt. health insurance, his enrollment to which remains his sole legislative accomplishment to date. Rep Harris is on the job solely for Andy Harris.
Check out this article from Karl Denninger. I think it’s a very good explanation of where we are and why.
market-ticker.org/post=215569
We are where we are because the President, the Senate and the House all 3 want to make everyone happy, themselves first and foremost. I don’t give a flying fig about any of them because they feel the same way about me. Their sole purpose seems to be to get re-elected and meanwhile they all ignore the huge problem of the deficit. Fiscal cliff? Baby, you haven’t seen anything yet!
You can slam Andy Harris all you want but at least he is not Nancy Pelosi. And that might be the best I can say of him right now which is a real shame in and of itself.
Noble, they all have to go. Every last one of them.
However, I must say that I do love it when we have gridlock in Washington. Taking no action on anything is probably the least damage they can do.
How do all the Obama acolytes who work feel about
their paycheck reduction in take-home-pay today?
Pretty damn good you self interested whiner. I said before I’d give up 10% of my salary to reduce the debt… among other changes associated with Defense Spending.
What’s the matter? So full of yourself that you have no concept of self sacrifice for the greater good? Or are you so absorbed with your own survival and success you are willing to screw other people to insure it?
Ask another question like that. It shows where your loyalties lie. To yourself and no one else.
Because you make this so easy.
Because people’s take home pay
was reduced starting this week by
having payroll withholding tax
going back up.
Because you unhinged ideologue
this increase in taxes does nothing
to reduce our national debt.
Because you can write a check
to reduce our national debt at
anytime you want, but I doubt
you will.
Because there is no honor in blindly
turning over hard-earned money.
Because there is honor in building
businesses and providing private
enterprise opportunity since that’s
what grows an economy and sustains
the greater good.
Many of us already give up close to 50 percent, yet we are still in debt and the government spends out of control. I don’t think it is unreasonable to not give any money to a drug addict.
Doesn’t make them self interested to want to keep the fruits of their labor. Try leaving your cushy government job and actually creating a dollar.
@B-how exactly do you “create a dollar”? People work in all kinds of jobs and they all contribute their time, effort or skill to something in the broad economy.
As a former sailor, i am quite sure that I earned my “dollar” protecting our country. Anyone that works for govt pays taxes too (as I did) and quite frankly as long as one works for a living you are expected to pay taxes and contribute to the general welfare of the country. I know plenty of people like you…you like to bitch and moan about govt, but you would be right in line to take a govt benefit or demand your rights be protected under the law and then ask the govt to protect you or apply for any tax credit or rebate. I do however would agree with the thread that govt spending needs to be rained in and taxes need to go up on the higher earners. I also doubt that you pay 50% of your gross income in taxes!! even Mitt was able to reduce his taxable income to 14%!!!.
The tax dollar you paid as a sailor did nothing to add to the economy. It lessened government spending. Private business transactions grow the economy and increase the tax base.
I am aware government has a place and don’t want any benefit I haven’t paid for. The rights I want protected are God given and government infringed.
High earners already pay most of the taxes in this country. Mitts 14% was on capital gains, profits made on investments from money he already paid taxes on. He paid what was legally required of him and you want to treat him like a criminal. If you increase the tax on investing, you decrease the incentive to accept the risk involved with investing. Your jealousy is blinding you to the consequences of your big government policy.
Do the math for your tax burden. After you add all of the taxes up, you can add in inflation and dollar devaluation and really see what the fed is doing to you.
Thank you for your service.
@metta world peace say
Many private sector taxpayers pay federal income,
state income, payroll, property and other taxes that
exceed 50%.
What you don’t understand is that in order to have
economic growth the private sector must produce
products and services at a profit.
Government produces no profit and when it takes
more money in taxes from the private sector it
reduces capital available for productive economic
use.
If what you believe were true everyone could work
for the government and we’d have an economic
boom.