Congressman Gregory W. Meeks Calls on Republicans to Support Payroll Tax Cut for American Families

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia, and senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, released the following statement calling on Republicans to support a payroll tax cut for American families:

“Republicans in Congress have long championed tax cuts, and yet, when they are targeted toward the middle class, they have suddenly found fiscal ‘austerity.’ Oddly, such allegiance to austerity escapes them when it comes to protecting tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires at the expense of our nation’s fiscal health. The few Republicans who claim they want to extend the payroll tax cut propose to do so in a destructive fashion – by cutting 200,000 middle class jobs. It is counterproductive to slash those jobs, and is tantamount to modern-day voodoo economics.

“President Obama has proposed payroll tax cut for 2012 that is fully paid for. Republican opposition to the payroll holiday will result in a tax increase for every American family. It is time for Republicans to put politics aside and stand with Democrats to support the middle class.”