RELEASE: Heather Wilson Claims That Jobs Are Her Thing, But Her Record Says Otherwise
Heather Wilson Claims That Jobs Are Her Thing, But Her Record Says Otherwise
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, August 7, 2012
CONTACT: Matt Ross (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM – Republican Senate candidate Heather Wilson claims that jobs are her thing, but her failed policies of cutting taxes for the wealthy and forcing the middle class to pay the bill contributed to the slowest job growth in 60 years.
"Heather Wilson's record of cutting taxes for millionaires and billionaires, and saddling future generations with billions of dollars in debt stifled job growth and weakened the middle class," said DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales
During her ten years in Congress, Wilson consistently supported policies that put the wealthy ahead of middle class New Mexicans. From 2001-2006, she voted for each and every round of the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. Her votes were a windfall for millionaires and billionaires, and contributed more than $1.7 trillion to the debt. During the same time, job growth slowed to the weakest rate since World War II and one-fifth the rate in the 1990s.
“How can Heather Wilson suggest that her policies will create jobs in the future, when they’re the same policies that have stifled job growth in the past,?” said DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales.
Background:
Wilson claims that jobs are her thing. [http://www.jobsareourthing.
Wilson supported each and every round of the Bush Tax Cuts for the Wealthy. In 2001, Wilson supported President Bush’s first round of tax cuts for the wealthy. In 2003, Wilson supported another round of tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy. In 2004, Wilson supported President Bush’s budget that permanently locked in multitrillion-dollar tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy. In 2005, Wilson backed a Republican bill that extended capital gains and dividend tax cuts. And in 2006 Wilson backed another Republican tax cut package that the Washington Post called a “windfall for the rich, and a hole in the federal budget.” [HR 1836, Vote 149, 5/26/01; HR 2, Vote 225, 5/23/03; Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, 5/28/03;; H Con Res 393, Vote 92, 3/25/04; Vote 621, 12/8/05; Chicago Tribune, 12/9/05; HR4297, Vote 135, 5/10/06; Washington Post, 5/11/06]
Tax cuts for the wealthy contributed to diminished job growth. "[F]rom March 2001 to December 2007 the economy added 1.8 million jobs for workers aged 25 to 54, only 22,000 per month. That translates to an average annualized growth rate of only 0.3 percent per month-the slowest of any cycle on record since the end of World War II and one-fifth the growth rate during the 1990s." [Center for American Progress, 2/2009]
The Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy ballooned the deficit. The Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy added $1.7 trillion to the deficits between 2001 and 2008. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/5/09]
Wilson criticized middle class tax relief package that didn’t include tax cuts for the wealthy. [Heather Wilson for Senate press release, 7/25/12] "Former Rep. Heather Wilson, a Republican challenging Heinrich for the Senate seat, said she would have voted to extend the tax breaks [for the wealthy]." [Albuquerque Journal, 7/26/2012]