| |  | | | | Last week I shared with you my statement on extending unemployment insurance. Congress must not leave Washington for the holidays without extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits to help America's middle class families. These are essential pieces of the President's American Jobs Act that put money into the economy and promote jobs. When this jobs bill came to a vote, Republicans in the Senate got together and they blocked it. They refused to even debate it. Even though polls showed that two-thirds of Americans of all political stripes supported the ideas in this bill, not one single Republican stepped up to say, this is the right thing to do. My colleagues have chosen to not act on these urgent job-creating proposals until next week. And even then, they have put forth a partisan proposal with policy riders opposed by many Americans.
Now I am simply a Methodist preacher. If you do not care to take my word for it, consider the numbers:
- Over 6 million Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own will lose benefits next year unless Congress acts
- 160 million middle class families are facing tax cut uncertainty because of Republican inaction
- Extending the payroll tax cut would keep more than $1,500 in the pockets of working families
- We've now reached 336 days of this Congress with no GOP jobs agenda
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The American Jobs Act contains ideas that historically have been supported by Democrats and Republicans. One of those ideas is the payroll tax cut. It's paid for by asking our wealthiest citizens to pay their fair share. We need to extend and expand the payroll tax cut. It will benefit 160 million Americans, put $1,520 into the pocket of the average Missouri family next year.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have opposed the surtax on millionaires, saying it will hurt small businesses and job creators. Instead of the surtax that many Americans have widely supported, my colleagues in the House have proposed to offset the cost of the payroll tax cut with cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and health care reforms.
It is a busy time for all of us, preparing for the holiday season, working to put food on the table for our families, and keeping up with friends and family. So you may have missed this report from NPR:
"Ever since the idea of the surtax was introduced weeks ago, Republicans in Congress have railed against it, arguing that it is a direct hit on small-business owners and other job creators…We wanted to talk to business owners who would be affected. So, NPR requested help from numerous Republican congressional offices, including House and Senate leadership.They were unable to produce a single millionaire job creator for us to interview."
Click here to read or listen to the full report.
Instead of asking everyone to pay their fair share, my colleagues are asking the least of these to sacrifice more. And they are not even saving money in the process. President Obama's proposal to extend the Social Security tax paid by employees at the current 4.2 percent rate through 2012 would reduce revenue by an estimated $119.6 billion, while the House Republican Leadership's package's overall 10-year price tag — not counting offsets — is a little more than $200 billion.
We have got to come together to help middle-class families in their time of need. We have done it before, and we can do it again.
MISSOURI RIVER
Preventing another Missouri River disaster is of critical importance. Please see below a letter I was pleased to sign following the recent hearing in Washington. We must make sure there are resources, at all levels, to repair, recover and prevent future flooding. This is not a Republican or a Democratic effort, this is something we must all work together on to make sure hard-working families are protected in the future.
FIGHT FOR FAIR HOUSING
I was pleased to speak at the 13th annual conference and leadership summit of the National Organization of African Americans in Housing (NOAAH) recently. It is important to design and implement housing policies and programs that promote our fight for fair and affordable housing for all Americans.
HISTORIC REHABILITATION OF U.S. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE | Congressman Cleaver looks at picture of
President Truman in front of old Federal Courthouse |
Some, including me, wondered if it would ever happen. The historic rehabilitation of the 1930's-era U.S. Federal Courthouse is complete. The building sat empty for 10 years and many watched plans for the building come and go in an uncertain economy. Challenges of redeveloping an historic site also added to the difficulties. But now, a building that witnessed several landmark rulings, cases and trials, is apartment housing with 176 residences. This $40 million project brought together public and private development dollars.
HOLIDAY HOPES – THE SEASON FOR GIVING
This is an unprecedented time in our country. Millions are out of work through no fault of their own. Millions more are wondering what 2012 will bring. As Congress continues to bicker in Washington, it seems, at times, some are bent on stealing hope away at Christmas. But in the Fifth District we remember what the holidays are all about – and giving and sharing stand paramount in that meaning. Whether you plan to reach out to your local food kitchen, to donate toys to young children in need, or to choose another philanthropic group that fits with your family – I support your generosity and your desire to give of yourself. I have heard story after story from my constituents of kindness and goodwill. The single mom who makes an extra casserole for the elderly neighbor. The young student who collects his pennies to help a buddy buy a coat. The family doing better than they thought this year and deciding to make a sizeable donation to the organization down the street. That basic, kind and true gesture of reaching out, offering your time, your talent and your treasure to someone in need, is at the very heart of what our country is all about. Let us never lose our giving and thankful spirit. Let us never lose hope.
Follow me on Twitter!
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Emanuel Cleaver, II
Member of Congress
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