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Republicans Censor Government Report That Debunks 'Tax Cuts Create Jobs' Myth
The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) issued a report back in September that showed that tax breaks for wealthy Americans did not help the economy or create job growth.
The report debunked a long-held Republican talking point that cutting taxes for the wealthy somehow creates jobs for the middle class, reports the New York Times.
The report stated: “There is not conclusive evidence, however, to substantiate a clear relationship between the 65-year steady reduction in the top tax rates and economic growth. However, the top tax rate reductions appear to be associated with the increasing concentration of income at the top of the income distribution.”
However, the report was withdrawn because Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that Republicans were offended by words in the report such as "Bush tax cuts" and “tax cuts for the rich.”
The New York Times reports:
Senate Republican aides said they protested both the tone of the report and its findings. Aides to Mr. McConnell presented a bill of particulars to the research service that included objections to the use of the term “Bush tax cuts” and the report’s reference to “tax cuts for the rich,” which Republicans contended was politically freighted.
Economist Jared Bernstein said the report was sound and the Republican attack “sounds to me like a complete political hit job.”
President Obama has promised to allow the Bush tax cuts on the top two income tax rates to expire in January, lifting the rates from 33 and 35 percent, and from 36 percent and 39.6 percent, where they were during most of the Clinton administration, which provided far more economic growth than the Bush administration.
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Comments
I'm all for sticking it to
I'm all for sticking it to the Republican's for their fairytale economics, but "Bush Tax Cuts" is a general phrase that gets tossed around a lot, and an official and thorough report really should list them by the names of the bills they were passed on. Same with "tax cuts for the rich", they could have just as easily listed the affected tax brackets, and maintained a semblance of objectivity. It sounds like lazy writing, more than censorship, doomed this particular report.
It is a well known fact that
It is a well known fact that there is no correlation between individual income taxes and the performance of the economy. The data has been public for quite some time.
Well, if that pesky truth
Well, if that pesky truth gets out, how is the GOP going to get their henchmen elected?
Of couse the GOP is screaming
Of couse the GOP is screaming partisanship. The Bush administration did the same thing to block every scientific report it commissioned on global warming when it didn't like the conclusions. Bush cronies were able to deceive Republicans their was no climate change at all occurring, and sadly a few of them even believe that today, though their Party has admitted the truth. Giving tax breaks to the wealthy & trickle down economics isn't new in this country. They are 18th century concepts that have never worked to increase jobs. Businesses hire & expand when they cannot produce enough to fit a growing demand for their product or service, but in the last 30 yrs those jobs went overseas. The demand has moved overseas because fewer US citizen's can afford to buy products & services. History proves this nation was the strongest, most secure & most powerful when we had the highest standard of living in the world & a healthy, thriving middle-class. We need government incentives for businesses who provide jobs to US citizen's, not who award corporations who are only incorporated in the US to use our military as their private security force. The USA is losing major markets to competing nations. We can't afford to keep repeating the mistakes of the past 120 yrs. We can be as powerful economically as we are militarily if we continue advancing into the future, instead of retreating into the past.
Climategate anyone? Don't
Climategate anyone? Don't know about half the things youre talking about because our exports for what we do produce as expanding because of the weak dollar. We are actually expanding our markets in several areas notably central & south america, asia, to name a few.
jmcv02
Michael, We expect better
Michael, We expect better from you. This kind of transparent lie is really beneath you. It shows the complete disconnect from reality some of these fringe leftists are willing to try to foist on the people.
What a coincide that this
What a coincide that this story is being reported right before an election, with a sitting democratic president, "dis-crediting" a republican idea.
jmcv02
Censorship? That's a lie.
Censorship? That's a lie.
The word "nonpartisan" in the description of the CRS should have been in quotes. According to the Wall Street Journal, the CRS "is now being hijacked for partisan ends."
They go on to say "Republicans understandably objected to this partisan exercise, especially because the study has statistical design flaws and ignores multiple peer-reviewed studies that have found a significant relationship between cuts in tax rates and the pace of capital formation, investment and economic growth."
They conclude by saying that this is "a significant blot on the CRS reputation for unbiased research"
One glaring falsehood in the title is calling it censorship. The report was voluntarily removed by the CRS. "CRS deputy director Colleen Shogan wrote that "I decided to remove the Hungerford report from the CRS website for now." She added that she had given Mr. Hungerford's manager, Don Marples, "a list of concerns I would want addressed in a future version"
Note that she did NOT say that it was removed because "Republicans were offended by words in the report."
So I guess it all depends on whether you choose to believe the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203880704578086771452127606.html
You know, I'm concluding that a more accurate name for this website would be "OPPOSING REPUBLICAN VIEWS".