Fine, Stop Kicking the Can, But Cut Taxes Already!

(Editor's note: the following is a letter to the editor sent by Jason Pfeifle, field organizer for Georgia Fair Share, in response to Rep. Rob Woodall's letter to the editor on the fiscal cliff titled "Rep. Woodall: 'I Will Not be Complicit in Kicking the Can Down the Road.'")

The fiscal cliff is quickly approaching, and itʼs time for our elected officials to get something done.

In a recent opinion piece in the Snellville Patch, Representative Rob Woodall called for a comprehensive solution to the pending fiscal cliff and outlined what he thinks that solution should look like: reduced government spending, increased revenue through the closing of tax loopholes, and no changes to current tax rates.

But, if Rep. Woodall is so concerned about keeping tax rates the same, then why hasnʼt he pushed for the passage of the Senateʼs bill to extend the middle class tax cuts? As I believe Rep. Woodall would acknowledge, extending tax cuts for 98% of Americans would help ensure that our economy stays on the path to recovery.  

With the money saved from these tax cuts (about $1,600 on average), middle class families would be able to buy the products they need and consumer spending would remain steady.  As the Congressional Budget Office has indicated, this would ultimately protect 1.6 million jobs nationwide.  With our economy slowly recovering and many families struggling to make ends meet, we simply cannot afford to let these middle class tax cuts expire.  

Yet, the fact is that Rep. Woodall and many of his fellow House Republicans are holding these middle class tax cuts hostage simply because they want to give the wealthiest 2% a tax break at the same time.  Wanting to pass a controversial tax cut for the rich is not a good excuse for blocking a common-sense step that has broad support from the American public.  

I urge Rep. Woodall and his fellow House Republicans to stop playing games with our economy and to vote for a simple extension of the middle class tax cuts immediately.