As President Biden's $1.75 trillion bill just passed through the U.S. House, Missouri Representatives, both Republican and Democrat, weighed in on the bill. Below are some of the statements made by those in Congress.
Congressman Sam Graves had this to say on the bill, “This hyper-partisan, radical legislation comes at the absolute worst time. Inflation just hit a three-decade high, Missouri gas prices are soaring at 74% above last year, home heating costs are skyrocketing, and grocery bills are out of control. Instead of prioritizing our country’s most urgent concerns like the supply chain crisis or unchecked inflation, Speaker Pelosi doubled down on taxing, spending and expanding government at an unprecedented rate. It is now up to the Senate to stop this madness and say enough is enough.”
Congressman Luetkemeyer (Rep.) stated, “On top of adding hundreds of billions of dollars to our national debt, the bill also hits Americans with over $1 trillion in tax hikes, with the exception of the wealthiest individuals who predominantly live in blue states. Those people – the richest of the rich – are receiving a $285 billion tax cut." Luetkemeyer continued, “These are the priorities of this President and Democrats in Congress: more government control and regulations paid for by the middle class, while wealthy liberal donors in California and New York get a tax break.”
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (Rep.) had this to say, “After 10 months of Democrats in control, Americans are seeing rising costs fueled by inflation, an overrun border due to the disastrous incentives offered to illegal immigrants by the Biden administration, and an infringement on freedoms with authoritarian vaccine mandates. Instead of responding to these issues, Speaker Pelosi is doubling down on Democrats’ socialistic agenda by pushing a disastrous bill which does nothing but exacerbate these crises and is surely dead-on arrival at the Senate’s doorstep.
Congresswoman Cori Bush (Dem.) stated, “The Build Back Better Act will not only transform lives, it will save lives. It will make long overdue investments in women, children, families, older adults, and especially in Black, brown, and under-resourced communities. I am urging my Senate colleagues to take up the bill without delay and without removing any more of its life-saving provisions."
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (Dem.) stated, “The Build Back Better Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to level the playing field for middle-class families in Missouri and throughout the United States of America,” said Congressman Cleaver. “For far too long, trickle-down economics has allowed the rich and powerful to accumulate wealth and influence at an exponential rate, while working families have struggled to stay afloat, let alone climb the ladder financially. By making sure billionaires and millionaires as well as Fortune 500 companies pay their fair share, we can provide a historic tax cut to middle class workers, invest in affordable child care for working families, implement universal pre-K for our children, bring down prescription drug costs for seniors, expand Medicare benefits to cover hearing care, and create affordable housing for communities throughout our state. That’s a no-brainer to me, and that’s why I’m excited to send this truly historic legislation one step closer to President Biden’s desk.”
Congressman Jason Smith (Rep.) stated "Pelosi has said a budget is a statement of your values. So, what do the priorities in this bill say about the Democrat Party? They are the party who wants to Benefit the wealthy. The ten richest Congressional districts in the country are represented by Democrats. And these values are reflected in their tax and spending plan. The second-largest program in this entire bill is a tax cut for millionaires – the top 1%. They also expanded a deduction for the wealthy to buy luxury electric vehicles. They even allowed wealthy Americans to qualify for taxpayer-funded handouts for home buying, childcare, Obamacare, and taxpayer-funded paid leave. And when I talk about the values in this bill, it says a lot that the tax cut for millionaires will cost more than the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit COMBINED!"
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