One’s a Republican, the other a Democrat, but both of Oneida County’s congressmen voted for a renewal of the Bush-era tax rates Wednesday night.
Rep. William L. Owens, D-23, Plattsburgh, was one of only 19 Democrats to join with Rep. Richard L. Hanna, R-24, Barneveld, and 236 other Republicans to support the controversial measure. The tally was 256-171. One Republican voted against it.
Republicans want all of the tax cuts due to expire at the end of the year to continue for a year. Democrats seek to increase taxes on high-income earners but leave others alone. The House bill has next to no chance of passing in the Senate, which last week approved a bill that would extend the rates only on annual family income up to $250,000.
The House GOP plan presented an "all-or-nothing" approach to extending the tax cuts. Owens says he voted for it In the interest of keeping taxes at historic lows for the middle class while hoping there will be a compromise later on raising tax rates for wealthy Americans.
"I believe we must keep taxes low for middle class families and small businesses in our community while not increasing the national debt by hundreds of billions of dollars with tax breaks for millionaires," said Owens. "As I have discussed at length with constituents in communities across the region, we simply cannot afford big handouts to the very wealthy."
The House measure would keep all current individual tax rates, as well as those for capital gains, dividends, and the estate tax. This legislation would also extend the $1,000 child tax credit, maintain the student loan interest deduction, and provide relief from the so-called marriage penalty.
"If current tax rates are allowed to expire, every American, regardless of income, would be subject to significantly higher taxes in 2013 as well as every business," said Hanna following the vote. "At a time when nearly 13 million Americans are searching for work and the unemployment rate remains at historic highs, this tax increase would have a crippling effect on our economic recovery and could lead to a second recession."
Still, he is holding the door open to movement on tax issues.
"I recognize that this vote represents only the beginning of a larger conversation about reforming our tax code and providing much needed relief to middle class Americans and small businesses in the face of the expiring rates," he said. "In the coming months, I am committed to preventing the impending tax hike, simplifying and reforming the tax code to make it more equitable, and closing loopholes that allow some individuals to avoid paying their fair share."
Both congressmen’s election opponents weighed in on the tax-cut controversy too.
"Richard Hanna is causing a lot of folks whiplash. One day he’s talking a good game about being a ‘moderate’ but a couple days later in Congress, when it matters most, he’s voting with the far right wing of his party," said Democrat Dan Lamb, who’s running against a Hanna in the new 22nd District. "Either he can’t make up his mind, or he’s deliberately misleading us for political reasons."
Lamb had suggested earlier in the week that there could be a compromise between Republicans and Democrats.
However, there is little expectation that serious negotiations to settle the differences between the GOP-led House and Democrat-controlled Senate versions will take place before the fall elections that feature a presidential contest and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives.
Michael Kicinski, a tea party supporter who’s eying an independent run in the 22nd after losing the GOP primary to Hanna, said prior to the vote letting any cuts expire is unacceptable.
"At this time we need to extend the tax cuts to all," said a statement from him. "Without extending the tax cuts, as seen from a widely reported study by Ernst and Young, 700,000 jobs would be threatened while damaging the economy from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent and effectively lower wages by 2 percent."
Kicinski adds, "The issue or problem is not with the middle class. It is not with the wealthy. We should have uniform tax cuts, a fair tax code, and not discriminate because of someone’s income."
In the new 21st District, Republican Matthew Doheny, who’s challenging Owens for the second time, criticized the incumbent’s vote.
"Which Bill Owens can you believe," he asked. "This spring, he voted for a House Democratic budget that included tax hikes on job creators. Today, he flipped and adopted the opposite position."
Doheny says he knows what’s behind the vote.
"Savvy people see this vote for what it is: A nakedly political maneuver done in a desperate attempt to win re-election," he said.
