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On the House Floor
This week, the House passed H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007, without opposition. It will provide comprehensive improvements to medical care for injured military personnel. Also, H.Res. 275 was approved by a vote of 229 to 197, establishing Fiscal Year 2008 (FY08) budget and setting forth budgetary levels for FY09 through FY12.
Legislating Defeat
Both Houses of the Congress have now passed emergency supplemental appropriations bills that impose artificial timelines for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. The great irony of this Democrat mandate to retreat from Iraq by a certain date, regardless of the state of affairs are at the time, is that it comes at a moment in the war when the tide has turned significantly in our favor. The troublesome Muqtada al-Sadr, a radical cleric who has instigated much of the violence in his homeland, has been chased from Iraq altogether. Sectarian violence is down in Baghdad, the epicenter of unrest in the country. The Mahdi Army, which wreaked havoc in the capital last year, has shown signs of division. As the U.S. has renewed its resolve in the face of adversity, so has the Iraqi government.
While clear victory is still not in hand, it seems to be within our reach, making the defeatism in the halls of Congress so repugnant. Sen. Joe Lieberman described it this way: “The deadline for retreat that Congress wants to impose is both arbitrary and inflexible. American troops would be forced to begin withdrawing regardless of conditions in Iraq, regardless of the recommendations of our military commanders, and regardless of what impact a hasty retreat would have on America’s security and credibility - in short, regardless of reality.” The President has rightly promised to veto any bill that would bind the hands of the commander in chief in executing whatever strategic move is appropriate according to what is happening in theater. Fortunately, despite some politicians who seem ready to embrace, or even hasten, U.S. military defeat, those actually fighting the war and the families who support them will simply not stand for it.
Legislating Recession
On the heels of planning for our failure on the central front of the War on Terror, congressional Democrats sowed the seeds for our economic calamity as well. This week, they voted for a budget that would drastically raise taxes, increase federal spending, and delay any effort to make entitlement programs sustainable for the next generation.
Just how bad is it? Non-defense, non-emergency spending increased by $22.5 billion for the next fiscal year and will rise 2.4 percent in each of the following three years. In order to pay for this, the legislation would raise taxes by close to $400 billion over five years, largely from the middle class. This means 115 million taxpayers would pay, on average, an additional $1,795 beginning in 2011. The 26 million small business owners would see their tax bill go up by nearly $4,000. Furthermore, 48 million married couples would pay an extra $2,900 each year. By reducing the child tax credit by half, 31 million parents would see their taxes increase by $859 annually. If the Democrats’ fiscal plan is enacted, our nation’s veterans and active members of the armed forces could no longer collect the earned income tax credit and teachers would no longer be able to write off certain classroom materials that they purchase out of their own pockets. Additionally, the odious death tax would fully spring back to life – imposing double-taxation on family farmers and small business owners. In short, if you are married, have dependent children, own or inherit a business, are in the military, a teacher, a senior citizen, or simply pay income tax – hold on to your wallet.
Given that the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 have spurred the longest sustained period of economic growth in American history, reversing them is simply inviting a recession.
Quote of the Week
“What we’re saying is Democrats propose tax cuts for middle income families.” – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, just months before passing the largest middle class tax increase in American history, CBS’s Face the Nation, January 7, 2007.
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