CBO Report Released

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Responds 

Today’s Congressional Budget Office report only reinforces the urgent need for House Republicans to follow the Senate’s lead and pass a bill that gives middle class families the confidence that they won’t see their taxes go up at the beginning of next year. 114 million Americans deserve that guarantee. 

But instead of doing the right thing, Republicans in Washington have chosen to double down on the same failed policies that led to the economic crisis in the first place.  They’re willing to hold the middle class hostage unless we also give massive new tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires – tax cuts we can’t afford that would do nothing to strengthen the economy.  

Congress also needs to act right now to prevent arbitrary spending cuts that would hurt military families, seniors on Medicare, and children who deserve a quality education.  It’s time to replace these cuts with balanced deficit reduction that asks the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations to go back to the tax rates they were paying under Bill Clinton – back when our economy created 23 million new jobs and a record surplus.  But first, Republicans in Washington should do the right thing and pass a bill that extends tax cuts for 98% of Americans and 97% of small businesses.  There’s no reason to wait.