Steny Hoyer: Tax Increases Shall Not Pass

George Bush had a dastardly scheme back in 2001 (no not that one, Paultards!). He passed a $1.3 trillion tax cut for nearly every American. The bill is set to expire in 2011, raising those taxes back to the 2001 levels. Steny Hoyer says this dastardly tax cutting scheme will not happen and he'll extend those tax cuts. Which, um, Republicans want to happen.

Hoyer yesterday:

“We have no intention of allowing the Republican tax increase — that their policies would lead to — to go into effect for working Americans. Period,” he said. “We’re going to act and make sure that the Republican phase out and increase in taxes does not end as they provided for in the laws they passed.”

First, English teachers diagram this sentence for me. It's nearly incomprehensible.

Secondly. Get this? The Republicans had a dastardly scheme back in 2001 to cut your taxes. If they'd only offered a plan to make those cuts permanent, the plan would have been thwarted. You'd think that Hoyer, protector of the middle class, would have supported this plan, right? Can't let those Republicans raise taxes, after all.

But you'd be mistaken. Hoyer voted against the Bush tax cuts and he voted against making them permanent as well.

• Voted NO on making the Bush tax cuts permanent. (Apr 2002)
• Voted NO on $99 B economic stimulus: capital gains & income tax cuts. (Oct 2001)
• Voted NO on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years. (May 2001)