USAction: National Call for New Revenue

More than 150 groups push back on Republican refusal to include revenues in budget deal, call on Congress to make sure millionaires pay their fair share.

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a sign-on letter to Congress, 151 state and national groups Thursday called on Congress to pass the Fairness in Taxation Act, sponsored by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-IL. The bill would enact new tax rates for millionaires and billionaires as a way to build a strong middle class and preserve important programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

To view a copy of the letter and the 151 signees, please visit http://www.usaction.org/docs/Fairness-in-Taxation-Act.pdf.

The letter to Congress comes on the same day that House Majority Whip Eric Cantor announced he is withdrawing from budget negotiations while the GOP continues to refuse to consider any new revenue measures. Democrats are urging a combination of cuts and new revenue as part of a compromise to raise the debt ceiling.

"Our nation is at a crossroads," the letter to Congress states. "Will we continue to squeeze working families and the middle class or will we provide security for our families and build a brighter future for our children? During the last 30 years, while incomes have stagnated for middle- and low-income people, wealth has been transferred from the middle class to the rich and income inequality is at its highest since 1928. If we do not restore tax fairness, the income gap will certainly widen and it will be impossible to continue to pay for the important programs that protect our families and build a strong, healthy, vibrant middle class."

Alan Charney, USAction director of policy and strategic planning, said USAction is planning a number of activities this summer to protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and to point out the need for new revenue. "Enough is enough," Charney said. "Our economy is in tatters and the middle class is disappearing. Yet some in Congress are at it again. They want to give even larger tax cuts to corporations and the super rich while destroying Medicare and Medicaid and other vital services that we depend on."

SOURCE USAction