DEMOCRATS' RECORD OF FAILURE:
Economy, Workers, & Families
In their first 100 days, House
Democrats have compiled a dubious record of failure on behalf
of American workers and families, undermining strong economic
growth and new job creation. Theyve failed to propose
a balanced budget that doesnt raise taxes on middle
class families and small businesses. Theyve failed to protect
workers rights by approving a massive payback for union
bosses that exposes workers to intimidation and retribution.
And theyve failed to provide college cost relief
for students and families struggling to afford a higher education.
And while Democrats ignored the
unintended consequences of raising the minimum wage in their
Six for 06 rush, House Republicans managed
to force Democrats to pass a bill providing tax relief for small
businesses, blunting the increased costs that eliminate job opportunities
and benefits for American workers.
WHAT THEYRE SAYING ABOUT
DEMOCRATS FAILURES ON BEHALF OF WORKERS & FAMILIES
House Democrats budget
proposal (H.Con.Res. 99) saddles middle class families and small
businesses with the largest tax hike in history, just days before
they file their taxes:
Assuming tax cuts go away
is a key to House plan for boosting domestic spending
- Associated Press
Headline, March 21, 2007
Personal and business income
tax rates will climb. Capital gains taxes will go up. The death
tax will have new life. The marriage penalty will once more punish
husbands and wives. Child tax credits wont continue. And
the AMT (alternative minimum tax) will hit more and more middle-income
workers. ... What will the average American family get
after it starts paying this extra $2,641 each year? The
revenue is being treated as a spending windfall -- enabling a
$3.3 trillion spree of new and expanded government programs during
the next 10 years. The goal of balancing the budget takes
a back seat.
- Former Representative
Ernest Istook, Washington Post, April 11, 2007
House Democrats big payback
to Big Labor (H.R. 800) was lambasted by writers and editorial
boards across the country:
Theres no love for
freedom in the legislation now moving to the House floor. ...
Abuses of workers true wishes not only are potential,
they are guaranteed. There is no free choice
in this travesty, clearly a payoff to union leaders who contributed
so handsomely to the Democrats November election victory.
- Democrats: Keep
Secret Ballot Sacred, San Francisco Examiner Editorial,
February 16, 2007
[T]he bedrock of federal
labor law is not unionism under any conditions, but the right
of workers to choose whether they want to affiliate with a union.
... Unions once supported the secret ballot for organization
elections. They were right then and are wrong now. Unions
have every right to a fair hearing, and the National Labor Relations
Board should be more vigilant about attempts by employers to
game the system. In the end, however, whether to unionize is
up to the workers. A secret ballot ensures that their choice
will be a free one.
- Keep Union Ballots
Secret, Los Angeles Times Editorial, March 1, 2007
Union leaders and the Democrats
ought to explain why they are so afraid of secret ballots.
- Target: Workers
Secret Ballot, Grand Rapids Press Editorial, February
5, 2007
Further endangering Americas
21st century economy is the Democrats student loan bill
(H.R. 5), which does nothing to help students and families struggling
with college costs:
Its a great
sound bite cutting rates in half, says Mark Kantrowitz,
the publisher of FinAid.org, which gives information about ways
to pay for college. But its an incredibly expensive
proposal with very little student aid benefit.
The
benefit, Mr. Kantrowitz notes, comes after students
have graduated, which makes it unlikely to get more low-income
students to enroll in college, especially since they tend to
fear debt more.
- Congress Moves
to Cut College Loan Costs, Christian Science Monitor,
January 16, 2007
The question is,
what are you achieving by cutting the interest rate? asked
Jamie P. Merisotis, president of the Institute for Higher Education
Policy. You are not encouraging any more students to go
to college because youre cutting the interest rate on loans
that students have already taken out.
- Democrats
Plan to Slash the Interest Rate for Student Loans Draws Criticism
From Unlikely Sources, Chronicle of Higher Education,
January 5, 2007
REPUBLICANS AIM TO STRENGTHEN
U.S. ECONOMY, PROTECT AMERICAN WORKERS & FAMILIES
House Republicans believe we
can balance the federal budget without raising taxes.
Raising taxes wont help balance the budget, it will simply
punish working families and slow the economic growth that continues
to create the new jobs of tomorrow. Republicans have a budget
proposal that balances the budget by keeping taxes low,
promoting economic growth, and putting an end to the
excessive waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government.
We also took the first important steps in reforming Americas
biggest entitlement programs which Democrats have completely
ignored.
We must also make sure that American
workers can join a union without exposing them to harassment
and intimidation from union bosses or employers. At the same
time, Republicans believe the wishes of American citizens should
not be trumped by the desires of those here illegally. Democrats
disagreed, and uniformly opposed a proposal by House Republicans
prohibiting illegal immigrants from working with union bosses
to establish a union against the wishes of workers who are American
citizens.
Because a strong economy requires
an educated workforce, Republicans believe college graduates
should not receive extra benefits at the expense of those struggling
just to get into college. A GOP proposal blocked by Democrats
would have benefited students and their families by redirecting
dollars toward need-based aid, such as Pell Grants.
Republican tax relief will help
blunt the unintended consequences of raising the minimum wage,
but we need to do more to protect jobs for low-income workers
and provide relief for small businesses.
In their first 100 days, House
Democrats have failed American workers and families,
and demonstrated their disregard for pro-growth, pro-jobs policies
that will help expand our economy.
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