Kerry Campaign Response to Cheney's Ohio Remarks 7/3/2004
From: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-464-2800, both of John Kerry for President WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Following is the Kerry campaign response to Vice President Cheney's Ohio remarks: Kerry spokesman Phil Singer: "It s fitting that the VP is on a bus trip because this White House has taken America for a ride on everything from jobs to the war to Halliburton to John Kerry's record. The fact is that America wants a leader with vision, not one who plays politics for sport. John Kerry is running for President to make America stronger and more respected in the world." FALSE CLAIM: "KERRY SUPPORTED HIGHER TAXES OVER 350 TIMES" TRUTH: This claim is simply NOT TRUE. Identical claims by Republicans have been proven wrong time and time again across the county. In fact, many of the votes cited by Republicans/Bush were actually for LOWERING taxes on Americans in Democratic alternative tax cuts. John Kerry will CUT taxes for the Middle Class: -- According To Bush Logic In Attacks On Kerry, Bush Averages 16 Tax Increases Per Year. In the four fiscal years 2002-2005, Bush has proposed 63 actual "revenue enhancers," as his father used to call them. These are actual proposals to take more money out of people's pockets and give it to the government. At Bush's current rate of 16 "tax increases" a year, he would have 320 under his belt if he could stay in the White House for 20 years-the time period Bush applies to Kerry's public service. (Kinsley, Slate.com, 3/23/04) -- The Same GOP Attacks "Flunked" the "Truth Test" in Georgia...When Republicans falsely accused Max Cleland of voting for a number of tax increases, the ad did not pass the scrutiny of Georgia political reporters. "At best, the facts we found just don't support the charges against Cleland in the ad, so this ad FLUNKS the truth test." (WMAZ Macon, Channel 13, 6:00pm 9/19/02) -- Similar Attack in Oregon "Stretches the Truth...Almost the Point of Tearing It..." When the Republicans ran the ad in Oregon, an NBC political analyst said the ad "stretches (the truth) almost to the point of tearing it," and "there's a lot that (the ad) doesn't tell you and it tries to mislead you." (KGW News (NBC); 6:00 p.m., 4/16/02) -- Republicans Ran the Identical False Negative Ad in Louisiana; Media Exposes Truth Which Turned Out to Be Most of the Votes Were for LOWER Taxes...When a nearly identical ad ran in Louisiana against Sen. Mary Landrieu, the Shreveport Times wrote, "Before accepting this alleged voting record as fact, voters ought to ask where these numbers came from - said voters might be a little annoyed to discover just how gullible the ad generators believe state citizens to be." After finally obtaining the list of the 128 votes, WWL-TV in New Orleans found that 119 of the votes were either votes for lower taxes or procedural votes." (The Shreveport Times, editorial, 7/17/02; WWL-TV, 7/17/02) CHENEY VOTED FOR THE LARGEST PEACETIME TAX HIKE IN U.S. HISTORY -- 1982: Cheney Supported the Largest Tax Hike in Peacetime History. Cheney voted in favor of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 -- the largest peacetime tax hike in history. The plan hiked taxes by $298 billion (over 5 years) in 1993 constant dollars. The hike amounted to 1.06% of GDP -- nearly 60% larger than the tax increases contained in President Clinton's 1993 economic package (0.67% of GDP). The tax hike increased at least 24 taxes and fees, including unemployment compensation taxes, corporate taxes, airline travel/ticket taxes and telephone taxes. (HR 4961, 1982 CQ Almanac, vote No. 289, 84- H; Wall Street Journal, 10/26/94; FY85-90 Federal Budgets, internal calculations; Tax descriptions from the 1982 Congressional Quarterly Almanac) -- 1982 Tax Increase Was The Biggest Tax Increase In History. The Joint Tax Committee, the Congressional Research Service, and just about every National newspaper -- New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Christian Science Monitor -- agree that the 1982 tax increase was the biggest in peacetime history. (WSJ, 10/26/94; NYT, 11/3/95) CHENEY VOTED TO INCREASE SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES -- 1983: Cheney Voted for the Social Security Tax Hike of 1983. In 1983, Cheney voted for the Social Security Amendments of 1983. In addition to other tax hikes, the bill taxed social security benefits, increased self-employed taxes and increased social security payroll taxes. (1983 CQ Almanac p. 219; vote No. 43, 18-H; HR 1900; tax descriptions from the 1983 Congressional Quarterly Almanac) CHENEY VOTED FOR HIGHER TAXES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES -- 1983: Cheney Voted for the Social Security Tax Hike of 1983. In 1983, Cheney voted for the Social Security Amendments of 1983. In addition to other tax hikes, the bill increased self- employed taxes. (1983 CQ Almanac p. 219; vote No. 43, 18-H; HR 1900; tax descriptions from the 1983 Congressional Quarterly Almanac) -- 1986: Cheney Voted Against Small Business Tax Deductions for Health Care. Cheney voted against health insurance deductibles. The bill would have allowed self-employed individuals to deduct up to 25 percent of their health insurance premiums when calculating their tax liability. (Congress and the Nation vol. VII, pg. 95; CN voteNo. 13, 9/25/86) -- 1987: Cheney Votes for Higher Income Taxes for Small Businesses. In 1987, Cheney voted for the Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, which increased at least 41 taxes and fees, including small business income taxes. (HR 3545; 1987 CQ Almanac, vote No. 508, 154-H ; Tax descriptions from the 1987 Congressional Quarterly Almanac) -- 1988: Cheney Voted to Increase Telephone Taxes on Small Businesses: Barred deduction for part of base residential telephone service in business use of residential phone. (HR 4333 (TAMRA 88); 1988 CQ Almanac, vote No. 463; Tax Descriptions from 1988 Congressional Quarterly Almanac, pg. 201) CHENEY VOTED REPEATEDLY FOR TAX INCREASE PACKAGES QuickMark-- 1983: Cheney Voted for Tax Bill to Bail out Railroad Retirement System. In 1983, Cheney voted for the bill that bailed out the Railroad Retirement system. The Railroad Retirement system -- the only private pension plan run by the federal government -- was the federal railroad retirement and unemployment compensation program. In addition to other tax increases, the bill increased employer taxes, unemployment taxes and taxed sick pay as income. (1983 CQ Almanac, 84-H, vote No. 282; HR 1646; Tax descriptions from the 1983 Congressional Quarterly Almanac) -- 1984: Cheney Voted for the Deficit Act of 1984, Which Increased Many Taxes. In 1984, Cheney voted for the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984. Among other things, the bill increased at least 34 taxes and fees, including fishing equipment taxes, corporate taxes, liquor taxes and telephone taxes. (1984 CQ Almanac, vote No. 245, 76 -H; HR 4170; Tax descriptions from the 1984 Congressional Quarterly Almanac) -- 1986: Cheney Voted for FY86 Reconciliation Bill, Which Increased Taxes. In 1986, Cheney supported the FY86 Reconciliation Bill (COBRA 85), which hiked several taxes and fees including tobacco taxes, Medicare taxes and student taxes. (1986 CQ Almanac, p. 556, vote No. 60 , 20-H, HR 3128; Joint Committee on Taxation, Explanation of HR 3128; Tax descriptions from the 1986 Congressional Quarterly Almanac) -- 1987: Cheney Voted for 1987 Budget Act, Which Increased Taxes & Fees. In 1987, Cheney voted for the Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, which increased at least 41 taxes and fees, including unemployment taxes, telephone taxes and corporate taxes. (HR 3545; 1987 CQ Almanac, vote No. 508, 154-H ; Tax descriptions from the 1987 Congressional Quarterly Almanac) CHENEY VOTED REPEATEDLY AGAINST MIDDLE & LOW-INCOME TAXPAYERS -- 1985: Cheney Repeatedly Voted Against a Major Rewrite of the Tax Code Which Benefited the Middle and Lower Classes. In 1985, Cheney repeatedly voted against the Tax Reform Act of 1985 which benefited the middle and lower classes. The Act was the first internal rewrite of the IRS Code since 1954. The bill reduced individual and corporate tax rates and restricted dozens of existing tax breaks. (1985 CQ Almanac, votes 411, 425-428, 134-H, 136-H) -- Cheney Refused to Change His Vote on Tax Reform, Even after President Reagan Asked. In 1985, Cheney refused to abandon his opposition to Reagan's proposed tax reforms, even after President Reagan asked him to. "I'm committed and locked in, and my position is not going to change," Cheney said. (Los Angeles Times, 12/10/85) -- 1986: Cheney Repeatedly Voted Against a Sweeping Overhaul of the Tax Law. In 1986, Cheney voted against the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The Act contained large reductions in tax rates, and eliminated or curtailed many special tax breaks for both individuals and corporations. President Reagan described the measure as "the best anti-poverty bill, the best pro-family measure and the best job-creation program ever to come out of the Congress of the United States." Cheney voted against final House passage in 1985. He also voted against the final version, which was passed by the House, 292-136. (AP, 10/22/86; 1986 CQ Almanac, vote 379, 108-H) -- 1987: Cheney Repeatedly Voted Against the Child-Care Tax Credit. In 1987 and 1988, Cheney repeatedly voted against a bill that extended the child-care tax credit, which allowed parents to claim tax credit for child care expenditures on children 13 years or younger. In 1987, Cheney voted against final House passage of the bill and in 1988, Cheney was one of only 53 House members to vote against the conference report of the bill. The bill passed 230 to 194; the conference report passed 347 to 53. (1987 CQ Almanac, vote 487, 149-H; 1988 CQ Almanac, vote 373, 115-H) KERRY HAS PROPOSED NEARLY THREE TIMES AS MUCH NEW TAX RELIEF FOR MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES AS BUSH Middle class families are increasingly being squeezed by the economy. The burden on the Middle class has worsened substantially - in part because college tuition has been rising at the fastest rate on record and health costs have risen at the fastest rate in decades. At the same time the economy has lost 1.7 million private sector jobs under George Bush - falling 7 million jobs of the prediction the Bush Administration made in February 2002. John Kerry wants to extend the middle-class tax cuts and make them permanent. In addition he is proposing new tax cuts for middle-class families and job creation: --- John Kerry Is Proposing Nearly Three Times More In Tax Cuts to Help Families Pay the Bills Education Kerry: $50 billion in tax cuts - pays 60 percent of $4,000 in tuition Bush: No proposal Health Kerry: $177 billion in tax cuts - part of a plan to provide more affordable coverage for all Americans. Bush: Less than half the amount of tax cuts, fails to provide insurance for most of the uninsured and fails to help middle- class families with premiums. Total Tax Cuts Kerry: More than $225 billion in additional tax cuts to benefit middle-class families. Bush: $86 billion in additional tax cuts. John Kerry is Proposing Tax Cuts to Help Businesses Create Jobs; George Bush Has No Jobs Plan Job Creation Kerry: New Jobs Tax Credit - covers the payroll taxes for new hiring by manufacturers, other businesses affected by outsourcing, and small business. Bush: No proposal. Small Businesses Kerry: Tax cuts for small businesses that create jobs and for small businesses with health insurance expenses. Bush: No proposal. All Businesses Kerry: 5 percent reduction in the corporate rate will cut taxes for 99 percent of taxpaying corporations. Bush: No proposal. Paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc. Web: http://www.johnkerry.com |