Politics

Rep. Jackson-Lee Calls for Relief for 99ers in Tax Deal

By Sunlight Foundation & Participatory Politics Foundation

Finally, a sign that at least someone in the crew of House Democrats leading the revolt against Obama’s tax deal with the Republicans is fighting to add additional weeks of unemployment benefits. In a floor speech yesterday calling for “a reasoned conversation,” Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18] argued that a middle-income tax relief package should include a new tier of unemployment insurance benefits for those who have exhausted all available benefits. Jackson-Lee is among the 53 Democrats who signed a letter expressing opposition to the Obama tax deal.

The quote from the congressional record is below, and the video can be viewed at this link:

So, my friends, a middle-income tax relief that would include, if you will, a child tax credit, that would include an idea of ensuring that the working Americans who are now, unfortunately, unemployed will have unemployment insurance, that would further include those who have run up against a brick wall, the “99ers” as they call them, don’t have any more resources but still have mortgages and food to pay for and bills to pay, and they want to pay for it.

A reasoned tax relief legislation will be the real answer, not the answer, if you will, of a huge, ridiculous amount of dollars going to individuals who, of their own voice, have said, we are well. We are well. The economy is turning, the Dow is working.

For more on creating a new tier of benefits, see S.3706, the Americans Want to Work Act.

Full post as published by Open Congress on December 15, 2010 (boomark / email).