For immediate release: April 17, 2012

Congressman Bass’ Priority is to Protect Millionaires at the Expense of New Hampshire Families

As families across New Hampshire pay their taxes today, Congressman Bass has once again sided with the wealthiest Americans and Big Oil rather than with the people he was elected to represent. Last night Republicans in Congress voted against the “Buffett Rule” which would help close the deficit by insuring that people making more than $1 million every year pay their fair share of taxes. Bass also voted against this measure in March and instead elected to vote for a radical Republican Budget that further cuts taxes for the wealthy while slashing funding for Food Stamps and Pell Grants, and ends Medicare as we know it.

Instead of standing up for New Hampshire’s middle class families, Congressman Bass sides with the far-right Republican leadership to balance the budget on the backs of seniors and the middle class rather than hold millionaires and Big Oil accountable for their fair share of the tax burden.

At a recent town hall meeting, Congressman Bass tried to deny the facts of his vote for the Ryan Budget saying that a constituent’s claim that it would cut taxes for the wealthy was “a complete fabrication.” Either Bass did not know what he voted for, or he is refusing to tell New Hampshire voters the truth.

“Congressman Bass’ priorities are clear – when faced with the choice, he will vote to protect millionaires and Big Oil allies over New Hampshire families and seniors every time. Granite Staters deserve a representative who will speak for their priorities and concerns. Congressman Bass no longer represents the priorities of this district and his denial of his voting record shows just how out of touch he is.” said Kuster’s Campaign Manager Garrick Delzell. “Annie favors a balanced approach to fixing our budget deficits and that starts with tax reform. This is why she supports the ‘Buffett Rule’, everyone needs to do their fair share.”

Annie Kuster is a Democratic candidate running for New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District.

Background

Bass Claimed Ryan Plan Would Not Cut Taxes for Wealthy. At an April 2012 town hall meeting, Bass claimed that neither Rep. Paul Ryan’s Republican budget plan nor the Simpson-Bowles-based alternative budget plan, both of which he voted for, would cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans. “Neither bill gives the wealthy any tax breaks other than what they get today,” he said. Bass also called a constituent’s claims that the Ryan plan cuts taxes for the wealthy “political dogma” and “a complete fabrication.” [YouTube, 4/03/12; YouTube, 4/03/12]

Non-Partisan Experts: Ryan’s Plan Would Give People Making Over $1 Million Per Year $265,000 in New Tax Cuts. “New analysis by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (TPC) finds that people earning more than $1 million a year would receive $265,000 apiece in new tax cuts, on average, on top of the $129,000 they would receive from the Ryan budget’s extension of President Bush’s tax cuts.” [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/27/12; see also Tax Policy Center, Table T12-0078 and T10-0132]

Senate Republicans vote to stop “Buffett Rule.” On April 16, 2012 the Senate voted on a motion to proceed with the Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012 (S.2230). Republicans unanimously voted to table the act halting a tax structure that would remove the tax burden from the middle class by mandating individuals who make over $1 million per year to pay more taxes than currently required. [http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00065]

Republicans in the House vote against the Democratic Budget Alternative.
House Republicans voted on March 29, 2012 against a budget that would end nearly $1 trillion in Bush-era tax cuts for millionaires, close a variety of corporate tax loopholes, and establish a “Buffett Rule” to ensure that working families do not face a higher tax rate than the wealthiest. [http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll150.xml]

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