We need an economy that works for everyone and leaders who’ve got their priorities straight. Our national budget should reflect our national priorities. Do we really want an America where working families bear more of the burden just so the richest few can pay less?
Washington Republicans say we can’t afford to put Americans back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges and schools — but say we can afford to keep massive tax giveaways for millionaires and corporate special interests. Turning their backs on regular Americans may pad the profits of the corporations and millionaires bankrolling their campaigns — but it won’t help grow our middle class.
We can have an America where everyone finally contributes their fair share. We can start by passing the Buffett Rule and getting rid of "trickle down" tax handouts that don’t work.
GOP MISINFORMATION
: "Obama’s budget doesn’t solve our deficit — and it doesn’t cut spending enough."
REAL INFORMATION
- 3 out of every 4 dollars of our nation’s debt are the result of Republican policies. We can’t go back to what doesn’t work.
- The best way to handle our debt and get our economy going is to put Americans back to work. That’s what the President has been fighting to do all along.
- If they were serious about deficits, they wouldn’t have fought so hard for the Bush tax cuts and two unfunded wars that led to the record deficits we’re dealing with today – and they’d get rid of deficit-busting tax giveaways for millionaires right now.
GOP MISINFORMATION
"Obama’s budget raises taxes."
REAL INFORMATION
- Regular Americans are working harder and harder for less and less while Wall Street CEOs are getting bigger and bigger bonuses and sailing by without paying their fair share.
- The President’s budget calls for passing the "Buffett Rule." It’s based on the core American value that middle-class families shouldn’t have to pay higher taxes than millionaires.
- When Presidents Reagan, Bush Sr., and Clinton told millionaires and big corporations to pay their fair share, we got millions of new jobs and strong economic growth.
- Our economy works best when we value working families and everyone contributes their fair share.
GOP MISINFORMATION
"Obama’s budget is more of the same failed stimulus policies."
REAL INFORMATION
- Try saying that to the millions of Americans kept from the unemployment rolls because of the first stimulus bill.
- The President’s budget plan would put Americans back to work fixing our crumbling roads, bridges, and schools – and more money in the pockets of working Americans means more customers in our stores.
- If Republicans really believed their own attacks, why did they keep taking stimulus money for their states and districts the last time?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Three-fourths of Americans, including nearly 70% of Republicans, support the Buffett Rule.
- America does better when the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share.
- At the end of the Clinton Administration, we were expecting a $6 trillion budget surplus — but Bush Republicans who thought "deficits don’t matter" squandered the surplus and doubled the national debt by 2009. That’s what President Obama inherited.
- Here’s where we are today: in just the last two years our economy has added almost 4 million private sector jobs — despite Republican attempts to kill millions of jobs and sabotage our recovery.
- Half of Americans believe that Republicans are intentionally stalling efforts to jumpstart the economy. Even Republican politicians admit they’re sabotaging the economic recovery just to defeat Obama.