Thursday, November 17, 2005

REP. BECERRA ON THE RECONCILIATION TAX CUT PACKAGE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This past Tuesday evening, November 15, the Ways and Means Committee, by a party-line vote of 24-15, favorably reported to the floor of the House H.R. 4297, a $56.6 billion tax reconciliation package whose marquee features include a capital gains and dividend tax cut extension that gives 53% of the reckless windfall to one-fifth of one percent of the country"s population.
At a press conference on Capitol Hill today, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), the only Southern California member on the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement:
"When we talk of these reconciliation cuts, what the Republicans won"t tell you is that they are consciously closing doors for millions of minorities and women. The programs they are cutting don"t affect the affluent, they don"t affect the privileged – they affect the single mom whose hard-earned paycheck is used up paying for rent and day care, they affect the American Latino working three jobs to put food on his family"s table, they affect the African American trying to scrimp and save for a college education that she has earned, but cannot afford.
"On the eve of Thanksgiving, this congress, this president, look to leave countless millions hungry, wondering how they will simply live; wondering how they will simply survive. For women and minorities, there is no place at the table, instead they are left in the cold looking in as a few privileged and affluent feast on the spoils of the richest country in history catering to their needs. For what have they to be thankful?"