u.s. congressman Mac Thornberry.com serving the people of the 13th district of texas

Washington, Jan 1 -

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) made the following comments after a vote in the House of Representatives to make current tax rates permanent:

"Making the current tax rates permanent for the vast majority of Americans, as this bill does, is a major accomplishment.  I continue to hear from many people in our part of Texas that stability in the tax code is necessary for their families and their businesses.

Other provisions contained in this bill are important to the people in our district as well,  including an answer on the death tax and a short-term extension of the current farm bill.  It also prevents a 27% cut in Medicare reimbursement to doctors, which would have made it very difficult for Medicare patients to find a physician to treat them.
 
This bill is a missed opportunity to take meaningful action to deal with our very serious spending problem, and I supported efforts to have significant cuts included in this measure.    I also believe that some parts of the bill discourage work and encourage dependency on the government.  But tonight is not our last opportunity to fight for reforms and significant cuts.
 
I am a conservative and a realist.  We do not have to do all of these things in one bill – and it would be a mistake to try – but we must do them for the sake of our country and our future."