Robin Carnahan: “Last month, I joined a bipartisan group of centrist Senators to support a $1.25 trillion tax cut along with an economic…”

“Last month, I joined a bipartisan group of centrist Senators to support a $1.25 trillion tax cut along with an economic stimulus for this year. The tax cut agreed upon after negotiations with the White House and House of Representatives totals $1.35 trillion. I support a tax cut of this size and think that the people of Missouri also believe it to be a commonsense compromise. This tax cut should provide immediate tax relief to help stimulate the economy, cut personal income taxes for all taxpayers, eliminate the marriage penalty, and eliminate the estate tax for all family farms and family-owned small businesses. I also want to ensure that the tax cut is distributed fairly and responsibly by focusing on the people who need tax relief the most--the working men and women of America. The other key component of the budget voted on by the Senate last month was an approximately $300 billion investment in education over the next decade. That budget plan included sufficient funds to meet the Federal Government's commitment to fund 40 percent of the cost of special education. Meeting this commitment would enable states and localities to spend billions of dollars of their own funds on improving educational quality at the local level. The Senate budget also included funds for student loans, programs for disadvantaged students, and the testing and accountability reforms currently being debated on the Senate floor.”