Just in my inbox:
Wanted to let you know that Senator Gillibrand has voted against the tax compromise along with Senators Bingamann, S. Brown, Feingold, Leahy, Sanders, & T. Udall. More to come -- the voting is still going on.
Short press release after the fold.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 13, 2010
GILLIBRAND ON EXTENDING BUSH TAX CUTS TO WEALTHY: WRONG FOR ECONOMY, WRONG FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Extending Bush Tax Cuts For Millionaires and Billionaires Will Not Create Jobs, Grow Economy
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement today after voting against cloture on legislation to extend the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires:
"I’m opposing this deal in its current form because right now we need to focus on the middle class, who are always left behind, not the people at the very top, who are doing just fine in this economy.
"Although this deal includes important measures I have fiercely advocated for, extending Bush tax cuts for the very wealthy will saddle our children with billions of dollars of debt. With unemployment near 10 percent and a growing budget deficit, every dollar in this deal should be spent in a way that creates jobs and gets our economy growing, and tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires do not create jobs and will not help our economy grow. This kind of fiscal recklessness is bad for our economy and bad for future generations."
I know this must have been a heartbreaking and difficult decision for Senator Gillibrand. She has a lot at stake.
She is the lead sponsor of the 9/11 health bill and a early champion in the fight to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, a fight I know she remains committed to seeing through.
And both of these are among the early hostages the GOP has killed off to ensure the good health of Paris Hilton's financial future. It remains very unclear if either can be resurrected.
Still, she would not let her own legislative ambitions be held hostage to procedural blackmail or compromise away her values or the campaign promises she made just a month ago.
I too, have a lot at stake in all of this, but support my Senator in doing the right thing.
Thank you Senator Gillibrand, you continue to make New York, and this constituent proud.