Ellen Tauscher Quotes
Rather than showing themselves to be an ally to the middle class by ending the AMT or repealing it for years to come, my Republican colleagues refused to include it in today's legislation and America's middle class will surely suffer that choice greatly.
United States, Congress, House. Congressional Record. Government Printing Office, 2007.
The Republicans at the time had adopted a plan to try and prevent Obama from winning a second term. They controlled the House and had enough votes to sustain a filibuster which the Republicans organized (more than all filibusters in the entire history of the Congress). After health reform the President could not get any of his legislation passed while the country had serious economic programs of the Great Recession. With this quotation the President came up with some middle class tax cuts to stimulate the economy and challenged the Republicans who almost always favored tax cuts and used that as a party litmus test.
Describing the concept of an income tax:
This became known as the Buffet Principle—that the very rich should not pay a lower tax rate than the workers who make far less money than they do. President Barack Obama used this principle by name in calling for the 2011 Jobs Act which would eliminate some of the loopholes and exemptions by which the rich could avoid some or much or their tax obligation.
Throughout most of the world, the rich and the aristocrats have been able to reduce or eliminate their tax obligations with the burden falling more heavily on the common people. Progressive taxation was thought to be a solution, but even in the United States by the 21st century many huge corporations paid little or no taxes while there was a heavy tax burden on small companies. Rich people generally paid a smaller percentage of their income than middle class people.
Ellen O'Kane Tauscher was an American businesswoman, diplomat, and Democratic Party politician who was the U.S. Representative for California's 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, she served as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs. She then served as Special Envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense at the State Department.
