Rep. Fossella Votes Against Largest Tax Increase in American History

House Democratic Budget Resolution Would
Increase Taxes By $683 Billion Over 5 years

[Washington, DC] – Congressman Vito Fossella voted against what would be the largest tax increase in American history – a $683 billion tax hike on hard-working Americans that serves as the centerpiece of the House Democratic budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2009.

The Democratic budget resolution would increase marginal tax rates by as much as 33% on middle- and low-income Americans, increase the marriage penalty tax, increase the death tax and slash the popular child tax credit by 50%. Under the Democratic budget resolution, an average family of four on Staten Island – for instance, a police officer and a teacher and their two children – would be forced to pay nearly $4,000 more a year in federal taxes.

Fossella said, “The last thing the American people can afford right now is the largest tax increase in the history of our nation. This budget would pick the pockets of hard-working Americans and force average families to spend thousands of dollars more every year on federal taxes. Even worse, it would harm our economy at the very moment we are trying to spur economic growth to avoid a prolonged downturn. This budget taxes too much, spends too much and is a recipe for economic disaster.”

In addition to his vote against the Democratic budget, Fossella was one of only 38 Republicans to vote against the Republican budget resolution, which included major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. Earlier this year, Fossella announced his opposition to Medicare cuts in the President’s FY 09 budget, which would slash funding by nearly $200 billion over five years, including $269 million to Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) and Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC).

The Democratic budget passed 212-207.

To learn more about the budget resolutions and their impact on residents of Staten Island and Brooklyn, please check out Congressman Fossella’s Staff Report.
 

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