Frank Pallone: “once again this week the Republican majority showed its true colors, a party looking out for the elite at the detriment…”

“once again this week the Republican majority showed its true colors, a party looking out for the elite at the detriment of middle- and low-income working families. During the final negotiations on their tax package, Republicans deliberately chose to leave more than 12 million children behind. The omission of a provision that would have extended a $400 child tax credit to working families making $10,000 to $26,000 a year was neither an accident nor an oversight. The provision, which had not been included in President Bush's initial $726 billion proposal or the House Republicans' $550 billion, was added in the Senate by a Democrat, Senator Blanche Lincoln. Why did this considerably small provision, $3.5 billion out of a giant $350 billion tax bill, make the Republicans' chopping block during their final negotiations with each House? As my colleagues already know, not one Democrat was allowed to negotiate the differences between the House and the Senate bill.”