RUNYAN, SMITH & LOBIONDO FACED TOMORROW WITH 2 CONTRASTING TAX VOTES & A CLEAR CHOICE: WILL THEY STAND WITH MIDDLE-CLASS OR MILLIONAIRES?

(NEW JERSEY) – With taxes set to automatically increase by $2,200 for average American families on January 1st, patience for more political games and inaction by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is at an end. SJ Citizens For Change today called on Congressmen Jon Runyan (NJ-3) Chris Smith (NJ-4) and Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2) to do the right thing for New Jersey by prioritizing the middle-class over millionaires.

Tomorrow, votes are expected to take place in the U.S. House on two contrasting tax bills: 1) a responsible bill already passed in the Senate that would immediately extend the Bush Tax Cuts only on incomes under $250,000 for a couple and $200,000 for an individual; and 2) the so-called “Plan B” bill put forward by Republican House leadership which would recklessly perpetuate tax cuts for the wealthiest few – and in fact would give millionaires an average $50,000 tax break - while at the same time raising taxes by an average of $1,000 on 25 million working families with children and students.

The irresponsibility of the Republican alternative doesn’t stop there. Compared to the Senate-passed middle-class tax cuts bill, “Plan B” would generate $400 billion less in high-income revenue to address our long-term budget challenges and for critical investments that create and sustain jobs. Congressmen Runyan, Smith and LoBiondo are strongly urged to vote YES on the Senate-passed middle class tax relief bill and NO on “Plan B” – which is nothing but a Trojan horse for more tax breaks for millionaires, while punishing the middle-class.

“By now, Congressmen Runyan, Smith and LoBiondo should know better and understand what their constituents really want,” said Eric Kipnis, volunteer organizer with The Action and Director of SJ Citizens For Change. “These Republican representatives know their party’s position of holding up middle-class tax relief in order to protect tax breaks for millionaires is wildly unpopular and the public will hold them responsible if Congress allows taxes to go up on every American family.”

“Congressmen Runyan, Smith and LoBiondo shouldn’t ring in the New Year by dropping the ball on middle-class tax relief,” said Joshua Henne, New Jersey spokesman for The Action. “Speaker Boehner’s ‘Plan B’ is not a serious alternative and flies in the face of the tax fairness the public is demanding. It’s no laughing matter for GOP leadership to obnoxiously propose a $50,000 tax break for millionaires while raising taxes on the middle-class.”

Come midnight on December 31st, GOP inaction will have serious consequences for New Jersey’s families and small businesses. Blame will fall squarely at the feet of Congressional Republicans if families across New Jersey have $2,200 less in their pockets and find themselves deciding between buying groceries or filling a prescription.

Congressmen Runyan, Smith and LoBiondo have a golden opportunity to avoid economic hardship for their constituents - and political fallout for themselves - by approving the Senate bill to immediately extend tax relief to 98% of the American people and 97% of small businesses.

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South Jersey Citizens For Change is one of over 150 national, state and local organizations part of The Action – a grassroots movement calling for the end of the Bush-era tax breaks for the richest 2 percent that have for too long shortchanged critical investments that create and sustain jobs. December 1st marked the first major national day of action of the movement, with over 100 events taking place in 30 states pressuring Members of Congress to put middle class before millionaires.