Washington -- U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin (R-WY), a long-time deficit hawk and fiscal conservative, today voted against a federal budget that will raise taxes by $392.5 billion over the next 5 years. 

“Democrats proved today they have no regard whatsoever for the budgets of hard-working Americans across the country,” Representative Cubin said.  “The Democrats’ budget amounts to the largest tax hike in American history.  While I take seriously my duty to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, it is obvious that tax-and-spend Democrats do not.”

Cubin’s no vote came as the House approved the annual budget resolution for that governs federal spending for the coming fiscal year by a vote of 216 to 210.  The bill passed today will  hit 115 million taxpayers with an average tax increase of  $1,795  in 2011. 

“The budget passed today will raise taxes on 200,000 of Wyoming’s hard working taxpayers by an average of $3,188 annually,” Cubin said.  “Beyond that, the budget will allow the Republican tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003 to expire.  This will reinstate the marriage penalty tax and the ‘death tax,’ reduce the child tax credit by half, and eliminate the state sales tax deductibility measure I authored.  This budget is a punch in the gut to families and small business owners in Wyoming and across the country.”

The Democrats’ budget also makes no attempt to reform runaway entitlement spending.  Without any reform, the only way the government could sustain Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security spending is to either raise taxes each year until they are nearly 60 percent higher than they are today, or eliminate every other federal program except these three by 2045.

“Congress has a responsibility to draw a line in the sand, tighten our belts and put our fiscal house in order before our federal budget is overwhelmed by the cost of entitlement spending,” Cubin said.  “This budget totally ignores that responsibility.” 

Earlier in the day, Cubin voted for an alternative budget that would balance the federal budget by 2012 without raising taxes.  To do this, the budget provided for significant entitlement reform and aggressive spending discipline.  Only one Democrat voted in favor of this budget. 

“Republicans and Democrats can all agree that we should not spend money we don’t have,” Cubin said.  “Unfortunately, that’s where the agreement ends.  While Republicans would achieve savings and retire the federal deficit by controlling spending, Democrats seek to do so by raising taxes, raising taxes, and raising taxes.”

The budget passed today tops the previous record for the largest tax hike in American history, set in 1993 – the last time Democrats controlled Congress.  See below for a summary of the impacts of the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2008.

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Bad Results From a Bad Budget – $400 Billion in Tax Increases Over 5 Years

Increase in Marginal Rates:  $182 billion
Reduction of Child Tax Credit:  $27 billion
Increase in Marriage Penalty:  $13 billion
Increase in Death Tax: $91 billion
Increase in Capital Gains and Dividends Tax Rates: $32.5 billion
Other Tax Increases: $47 billion

EVERY Working American Would be Affected by Democrats’ Tax Hike

115 million taxpayers would see their taxes increase, on average, by $1,795 in 2011.
83 million women would see their taxes rise, on average, by $2,068.
48 million married couples would incur average tax increases of $2,899.
Taxes would increase, on average, by $2,181 for 42 million families with children.
17 million elderly individuals would incur average tax increases of $2,270.
Taxes would rise, on average, by $3,960 for 26 million small business owners.
Over 5 million taxpayers who previously owed no taxes would become subject to the individual income tax as a consequence of the sunset.