The Republican Study Committee: RSC Update Tax Day & Obama's Budget
From the Chairman
Jennifer and I offer our prayers to those impacted by the Boston Marathon bombing today. Trying times test our resolve as Americans. There is no place in our free society for such an act of violence, and we will not waver in our commitment to liberty and justice. Those responsible for this horrific attack will be held accountable.
Tax Day
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the federal income tax. Since its inception in 1913, the income tax has continued to grow in scope and complexity. A century later, hardworking American taxpayers will send the federal government $2.7 trillion this year alone.
While Americans across the country file their returns and open their checkbooks to pay their taxes today, the President and his liberal lieutenants in the Senate continue to call for another trillion dollars in higher job-killing taxes over the next ten years. It's hard for President Obama to make the case that you don't pay enough in taxes when this year's $2.7 trillion marks the all-time record for the most money the federal government has ever taken in! Even after adjusting for inflation, this year’s revenue has only been eclipsed four times in our nation’s history. Washington clearly has a serious spending problem, and you can only solve it by controlling Washington spending rather than President Obama's scheme to have the IRS take more of your hard-earned money through even higher taxes.
Obama Finally Presents Budget
Last week the President sent Congress a budget, that includes over $1 trillion in new taxes, over $8 trillion in new debt, and yet NEVER balances.
While our national debt is approaching $17 trillion, our President and his liberal lieutenants continue to ask for additional taxes so they can keep spending more and living beyond their means. The President got the higher taxes he wanted in the "fiscal cliff" deal, but yet he still refuses to agree to any spending cuts. More wasteful Washington spending, radical regulations, and costly duplication are not what the American people want or deserve, and that failed agenda is still holding the American economy back.
The Obama administration refuses to take common-sense steps to rein in Washington spending, while continuing to grow failed welfare programs that jeopardize the future of our country. Republicans have passed a plan that would balance our nation's budget in ten years by growing the economy with no tax increases, while the President’s budget raises taxes, increases radical regulations, and never achieves balance. This is truly a choice of two completely different directions for our country.
Increased spending and continually high unemployment numbers should not be accepted as the "new normal”. It is time to for the President to abandon his failed tax, regulate, and spend agenda and finally start working with us to grow the economy, control spending, and balance the federal budget.
God Bless,
Steve Scalise
RSC Member Activity
- Rep. Scott Perry (PA-04) is building support for H.J. Res. 36, which balance our nation’s budget by implementing many parts of a system known as zero-based budgeting.
- Rep. Tom Graves (GA-14) is building support on a letter to leadership requesting an open appropriations process.
- Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-08) and Rep. Ed Royce are building support for the Bipartisan Victim’s Rights Amendment (VRA), which provides public proceedings to crime victims.
- Rep. Ted Yoho (FL-03) is building support for the TRUST Act, eliminates the taxpayer-funded portion of congressional pensions for Members who have been convicted of a felony.
- Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) is building support for the EASY Saving Act, which would incentivize savings by allowing agencies to create an employee suggestion program to include rewards for identifying unused or unnecessary funds.
- Rep. Phil Roe (TN-01) is building support for an appropriations letter to defund IPAB.
- Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) is building support for H.R. 1209, which would award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Doolittle Tokyo Radiers.
- Rep. Bill Flores (FL-17) is building support on a letter to support abstinence education.
- Rep. Tom Graves (GA-14) is building support for a bipartisan Agriculture/EPA regulations bill.
- Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-07) is building support for H.R. 1304, the Flexibility to Farm Act, which would entrust states with the appropriate flexibility to craft environmental policies as they relate to farmers.
- Rep. Bill Cassidy (LA-06) is building support for the EGO Act, which would prohibit taxpayer dollars from being used to fund official portraits for Members of Congress or federal administration officials.
- Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-04) talks about the power of the free-market in his Huffington Post Op-Ed.
- Rep. Peter Roskam (IL-06) sent a bipartisan letter he co-authored to Secretary Kerry and Secretary Lew expressing concern with Turkey’s support for Hamas, Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank’s transactions with Iran, and the recent influx of Iranian-funded companies within Turkey.
- Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) introduced the Balance Budget Amendment, which would restrict outlays to revenue, allowing Congress to spend no more than it takes in each year.
