On a conference call Thursday, Kansas Democratic Party Chair Joan Wagnon called on Republican members of Congress to pledge to vote against the $1 billion tax increase that GOP leaders in Washington want Kansans to pay.
“Today we call on Lynn Jenkins, Tim Huelskamp, Mike Pompeo and Kevin Yoder to stand with 1.6 million working Kansans and pledge to vote against this $1 billion tax increase,” Wagnon said. “We can’t get Republicans to stop coddling the super rich, but they don’t worry one bit about hurting everyday Kansans. Like me, I’m sure most Kansas are left feeling baffled and frustrated.”
Wagnon went on to say ...
At issue is the extension of the payroll tax break President Obama has urged Congress to approve. The 2011 tax break cut Social Security payroll taxes from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent for one year. Obama wants to extend that cut for another year.
If Congress does not approve his plan, then the payroll tax rate will return to 6.2 percent in only four months. Nationally, 159 million Americans will pay about $110 billion more in taxes if the Republicans succeed.
In Kansas alone 1.6 million workers will see their paychecks shrink by over a billion dollars, the U.S. Treasury Department reports. The tax break does not change workers’ benefits when they retire.
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