Cantor hits Dems on taxes, spending
(CNN) - At the end of a week in which many Americans finalized their tax returns, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor used the weekly GOP address to warn that if Democrats remain in power, they will make "the 'tax days' of the future much much worse."
The Virginia Republican said the country is at a turning point and that Democrats don't have the right answer.
"The Democrats control every lever of power in Washington and they've never met a tax they didn't like or found a dollar they couldn't spend. Their economic plan? You pay, they spend, your children owe. You deserve better," Cantor said, adding that Republicans offer an alternative.
"But take hope. Down the other path is responsible, adult leadership, focused firmly on job creation and economic opportunity. We believe in a Congress that will once again listen to the people and return America to the country they know and love."
Read the full remarks after the jump:
"Hello. I'm House Republican Whip Eric Cantor and I have the great privilege of representing the hardworking people of Virginia's 7th District."This week, Americans from coast to coast sent their tax payments to Washington. Your government continues to spend more and more, and that means that your taxes are more and more. This has to stop – and you can help stop it.
"The challenges and situations faced by families, small business people, and young workers have no doubt made this tax day particularly painful. But as painful as it was, the truth is that the actions taken by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Obama Administration are going to make the 'tax days' of the future much much worse.
"President Obama has signed 25 tax increases passed by the Democratically controlled Congress into law that will cost families and small business people more than $670 billion over the next 10 years. Many of these break the President's campaign promise not to raise taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year. In the House, Speaker Pelosi and her majority have passed legislation that would result in more than a trillion – that's with a T – dollars in net tax increases.
"But tax increases are the symptom. Runaway spending is Washington's disease.
"The Democrats control every lever of power in Washington and they've never met a tax they didn't like or found a dollar they couldn't spend. Their economic plan? You pay, they spend, your children owe. You deserve better.
"Speaking of your children, the deficits left in the wake of President Obama's agenda now stand at $1.5 trillion and will add $11 trillion to our national debt over the next 10 years. One non-partisan study reveals that to keep up with this spending, the government would have to find about half a trillion dollars each year in new revenue. That means that the tax rates on families earning slightly more than $200,000 would skyrocket to well over 70 percent.
"That's right, 70 PERCENT!
"Democrats have already made clear that more tax increases on income, capital gains and dividends are on the way. Some, including the President himself, refer to this as letting the 'Bush tax cuts' expire. But no matter how he spins it, it means you'll be paying more and more. At the end of this year, Americans will face the 'Obama tax increase,' and it will be the largest in history. As if that wasn't enough, others, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Obama Economic Advisor Paul Volcker support a European-style value-added tax (VAT).
"Higher taxes, reckless deficits, unsustainable debt and a bleak future for our kids and grandkids. We must not leave our children a country more in debt and worse off than we found it. It is our moral obligation to act now to put a stop to this.
"America is at a critical point of decision making. We are a nation at a crossroads. It is up to each of us to determine what kind of country we want to be.
"Down one path is the Democrats' trillion dollar health care overhaul, a stimulus law that failed to meet expectations for job creation, the taxpayer funded bailouts of private companies, and a cap-and-trade policy that will impose a massive energy tax upon all Americans. All are costly policies that seize more control over the economy and of our lives. The goal? To remake America in the image of Europe.
"But take hope. Down the other path is responsible, adult leadership, focused firmly on job creation and economic opportunity. We believe in a Congress that will once again listen to the people and return America to the country they know and love. We believe in a limited but effective government that provides a safety net for those who need it most, but sets no limits on opportunity or achievement. We believe that it's not enough just to talk about ending government waste. You have to take action so that we can begin to erase our deficits and free our children from our debt. And rather than putting the squeeze on our nation's job creators and entrepreneurs, we believe in a pro-growth strategy to create jobs and empower the American entrepreneur and small business people to thrive.
"This is our choice.
"I'm Eric Cantor, and on behalf of my Republican colleagues, please know that we hear your concerns and we'll work hard to get Washington working for you once again. Thank you."
Well, I paid more in taxes under O. And I am not one of the people making over $200,000 a year. Got a letter from my insurance company last week telling me that my health insurance is going up too. And when Republicans tried to give ideas on healthcare they were shut out. There was a lot of back room democrat only meetings. Or have the majority of people here forgotten that?
Eric Cantor and the rest of the Republicans that are on the Obama bashing tour seem to forget that the Americans that elected his sorry self to office are smarter than he gives us credit for. We know that your tea parties are being sponsored by huge insurance companies that are lining his pockets with "golden calves". By this I mean that the money hoarders of this country are not fooling me into thinking that they are part of our Judeo-Christian society. The Bible says that you should not worship the god of money. When they meet St. Peter at the pearly gates what are they going to tell him? That all the other members of their religious, oops, I mean political group, hoard money , too, so that makes it ok? I don't think any of them will make it to the pearly gates to tell their story of why they lied to the people to go against a President that the rest of us want to stand behind. Stop talking, Eric Cantor, and do us all, and yourself, a favor.
Tax increases? Lies again. This administration lowered taxes for all but the wealthiest 5% or so.
ib you got the brain cell of a fruit fly if you think I am going to believe you, think again. Bush got us into this mess and President Obama will get us out of this.
Seems that these days, Lying Republicans are everywhere. When will they learn to speak the truth–mama didn't teach the Bozo's anything.
If a citizen earns less tha $250K/yr he'll pay lower taxes. If he makes more, he will finally have to pay his fair share. The Republicans are now, & have historically been in bed w/ the wealthy. Cantor is just spreading more GOP deception, leading the less sophisticated &/or bigoted to believe that they will shoulder a greater tax burden.
More GOP lies.
The Iraq war created ONE TRILLION DOLLARS of DEFICIT, and most of the "money" went into the pockets of Bush and Cheney's friends, i.e., we taxpayers are paying with the debt and interest.
War isn't free, war isn't even good business...no matter how often the GOP says it is.
Republicans have lied, fear mongered, used every dirty trick in the book to hoodwink the American people,... are we as a people that thick in the head, that we still give the Gop mouthpieces the time of day? ENOUGH already,... tune these clowns out,... let them spew all the lies and untruths,... November and 2012, send them a loud message,... wipe the lying Gop off the face of the political map. YES,.. it is time to take our country back,... take it back, from the lobbyists, the corruption of crooked politicians, time for a new breed of politicos,... ones who actually work for the betterment of the people, and not for the corporate overlords. GO OBAMA,... sweep Washington clean of all the slimy, corrupt dealings.
Cantor is a GOP Stooge!
Wall Street got the Bail Out & that's why the DEFICIT is ballooning!
Main Street USA got nothing, and continues to be left hanging while Wall Street is raking in record [Dow over 11,000] PROFITS!
Wake up America! Main Street will never see any real form of HELP.
Time to help yourselves and look after your own interests, we can no longer wait for Washington to toss a couple of dollars our way
[where is the Unemployment Extension Bill], make the Banks stop foreclosing [where is the HELP], and Big Business sending JOBS over seas [Big Business as usual].
If you already tightened your belts, grab the end and tug it tighter, we are in for a long haul. That's how Mom & Dad, Grand Pa & Granny made it through the last Depression, so quit crying, whining and moaning, WE ARE ON OUR OWN!
Papasan in AZ
I beg your pardon Mr. Cantor, After eight years of Republican spending, you are really reaching, not to mention lying your stupid head off. Scare tactics are such a major part of the Repubs activities and you've used this one too often. Time to try something new ..Sorry,but most of us have read up on this one and know it isn't true.We are on to you guys and are fact checking everything,so I'd be very careful what I said if I were you.
Quit lying Cantor. As long as the GOP has 41 votes in the Senate, then the Dems DON'T have control of all the levers as you well know. Otherwise, we'd have made far mor pprogress on solving this country's big issues.
Bush started in 2001 telling us ...its our money.. then he went on and borrowed money for the two wars and the prescription drug program.. unfunded.... He refused to pay for anything plus gave the rich big ole tax cut and look at the debts we got now.. plus he lets thealls sreeters run wild and we lost our savings retirement all becasue of Bushand his republican group..
If all major corporations were forced to pay taxes (which a lot don't) than everybody's taxes would decrease! Teapartyers should be calling for the government to look into tax loopholes and offshore accounts. They are focused on the wrong objective.
It would be nice to pick up a paper and see that this creep, has been defeated from office. I wonder what the nation would be like, if all politicians, with this mind-set were to be defeated. I'll bet we'd thrive, not just survive, as we've survived under republican oppression.
Seems like cantor is talking out of both sides of his mouth,he voted with bush 100%,now we have a huge deficet and he wants us to believe it is obama's fault. We have the lowest taxes since regan was in office,the repugs did nothing for 8 years,now they have all the answers,and what is so sad is some people believe them,well i know better,the dems are not perfect but they are a lot better for the middle class than the repugs.