Jack Reed: “we find ourselves here, yet again, confronted with the third tax cut package in 3 years from the President. As a recent…”

“we find ourselves here, yet again, confronted with the third tax cut package in 3 years from the President. As a recent Washington Post article pointed out, President Bush seems dead set on ramming through tax cuts every year he is in the Presidency---regardless of the economy, regardless of the budget deficit, regardless of its competition with much-needed programs like a universal and comprehensive prescription drug benefit for Medicare. In fact, after years of harping on budget deficits, the Republican Party has now jettisoned its sense of fiscal responsibility, but only after President Clinton adopted that same fiscal responsibility and successfully delivered budget surpluses. Now, Republicans are silent on the issue. But only when we put all of these concerns aside do we get to the most fundamental question---the question of fairness. President Bush has taken great strides to launch preemptive rhetorical attacks, claiming Democrats are engaging in class warfare with opposition to tax cuts. But when we consider the facts, it is the President who is engaging in class warfare by pushing through a package that steals from the poor and then gives to the rich. His preemptive rhetorical attacks will not measure up to the facts. So, with all the challenges we have ahead, we are being asked to vote on another tax cut that will not help the average American family.”