Statement From AFGE President on House GOP Tax Plan

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Federation of Government Employees President John Gage today issued the following statement in response to the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, introduced by House Speaker John Boehner:

"Speaker Boehner has proposed paying for a one-year extension to payroll tax relief by raising taxes on middle class Americans who work for the federal government. This bill would freeze federal employees' wages for a third year in a row and force federal employees to pay vastly more into a retirement system that's fully funded – while slashing their retirement income at the same time.

"Speaker Boehner doesn't want to extend the payroll tax at all. This is a plan designed to raise taxes on the VA nursing assistants who care for wounded warriors, the Defense civilian employees who support our military troops at home and abroad, the Social Security claims representatives who process benefit payments to our nation's seniors and the many thousands of employees who protect our borders, skies, food supply and infrastructure.

"This proposal by House Republicans is even more draconian than the Senate Republican proposal, which has been soundly defeated twice by a bipartisan majority of lawmakers. The GOP is on an unrelenting quest to push through their anti-worker political agenda, even if it means forcing tax increases on 160 million American families.

"This is just another attack on the 99% on behalf of their good friends—the 1%. They are targeting a small segment of people who make $30,000 to $70,000 a year, rather than asking their millionaire and billionaire supporters to pay a little more.

"It's not right, and the American people should be outraged."

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 625,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

For the latest AFGE news and information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

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