Running for reelection in the newly-drawn 33rd Congressional district, which takes in the entire Santa Monica Bay all the way to Palos Verdes, Congressman Henry Waxman has a consistent record of voting against tax relief for this country. For over a decade, a long list of tax cuts have met stiff opposition from one of the most oppositional members of Congress. For many bills, he voted against a sizable minority of his Democrat caucus, which supported the tax relief measures. Waxman is a marginal politician who opposes many bills which have kept the American people's money in their hands.
In 2000, Waxman voted against eliminating the Death and Marriage taxes. Waxman has a penchant for taxing many things, even the important rites of passage like marriage and death. Would he also impinge on births, baptisms, and bar mitzvahs? Waxman also voted against the Death Tax Elimination Act of 2001, even though one fourth of the Democratic caucus supported the bill. Two sure things in this life: death and taxes, and Waxman is ensuring that this country has a lot of the latter.
He voted against the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which included a phased-in reduction in income tax rates and an eventual repeal of the estate tax.
In 2004, the house voted on a bill to increase the standard deduction for married taxpayers. The bill got wide bipartisan support, yet Henry Waxman voted against limiting this penalty. Holy matrimony should not leave a hole in a married couple's wallet, purse, or bank account. Our Congressional representatives should understand this, but Waxman apparently does not.
Waxman opposed the bipartisan-supported American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, which allowed individuals to claim a deduction for state and local sales taxes paid. The bill also increased tax credits for investment abroad and increased the expensing provisions for corporations.
Waxman opposed tax cuts for job creation. His hyper-partisan habit once again was out of step with both parties in Congress.
He voted against the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004. Even with wide bipartisan support for this measure, Waxman said "No!" I wonder how many working families in West Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Bay would have benefited from this tax write off?
Waxman voted against the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005, an extension of previously lowered dividend income and capital gains through 2010, and made an increase to the AMT exemption. It also eliminated income restrictions for converting traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs. Employees need more assistance, not less, from the federal government in preparation for retirement.
He voted against the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, which contained tax cut extensions for house improvements, state and local sales tax exemptions, and a provision for health savings accounts.
If Mr. Waxman really wanted to improve health care access in this country, why did he vote down a provision permitting consumers to purchase health savings accounts? The initiative for individuals to invest in their own health, and maintain the fund as a tax credit would help control costs without taxes or rationing.
Congressman Waxman voted against the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which allows higher contributions to IRAs. The bill got wide support from both parties. Congressman Waxman has demonstrated such a stiff resistance to easing the tax burden on Americans, that much of the time he even votes against his own Democratic caucus!
Although Congressman Waxman has more recently voted to extend AMT exemptions (2007, 2008), his voting record clearly indicates that he opposes tax relief to a greater extent than is warranted. The residents of the 33rd Congressional District command a great deal of wealth and investment. The aerospace industry and small businesses throughout the South Bay cannot afford to send to Congress a politician who never met a tax increase he never liked and who has yet to meet any tax relief which he has not rejected.
The Bush tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year. Judging by his record, Mr. Waxman is not inclined to extend those cuts, which would introduce catastrophic tax hikes on an economy still reeling from the Great Recession.
Congressman Waxman is a taxing choice not worth the taking.
No More Taxes—No More Waxman—Retire the Taxman Nov. 6, 2012!
[Visit http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/House/California/Henry_Waxman/Views/Taxes/ For more information on Henry Waxman's record on tax bills in the House of Representatives.]
