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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was dismissive of the idea that the incomes of the richest Americans should be taxed at 70 percent, despite the broad popularity of the proposal. (Photo: AFGE/Flickr/cc)
Steny Hoyer Deploys 'Republican-Lite Talking Points' to Oppose 70% Tax Rate on Ultra-Rich That Most Americans Want
The bold agenda being pushed by lawmakers like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez "is not a litany of progressive issues; it's an agenda to renew and expand the social contract by directly addressing the crises that will define American life for years to come."
Jan 15, 2019
Despite the popularity of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) proposal to raise the marginal tax rate for the wealthiest Americans to 70 percent--House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) revealed that he has no plans to serve the public interest by pushing for higher taxes for the rich.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy. They need her." --Waleed Shahid, Justice DemocratsSpeaking to the news outlet Cheddar, Hoyer scoffed and smirked when asked on Tuesday whether he would support the proposal--even as he undermined his own point, admitting that a 70 percent tax rate for the rich has in fact existed in the U.S. in the past.
Despite his stated view that "we need to get the deficit down" and "pay for our priorities and our needs," Hoyer claimed that asking Americans making more than $10 million per year--as Ocasio-Cortez proposed--"is not reasonable to attain either politically or frankly, I think, from a policy standpoint."
Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid compared Hoyer's statement to "mealy-mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance."
Watch:
Hoyer did not elaborate on why he believes the proposal to be unfeasible--an incongruous statement for an idea that 59 percent of Americans supported in a recent poll by The Hill and HarrisX. Though critics have attempted to portray a 70 percent top marginal tax rate as "radical," even a large number of Republican respondents--45 percent--approved of the proposal, along with 71 percent of Democrats.
Political scientist Corey Robin noted that Hoyer's comments should serve as a reminder that the Democratic Party has a ways to go in terms of pushing for bold proposals that a majority of Americans support.
Shahid added that the exchange underscores how urgently the Democratic establishment must end its attempts to dismiss and marginalize the ideas of Ocasio-Cortez--a representative who is intent on truly representing the priorities of her constituents and working families across the country.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy," wrote Shahid. "They need her."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Despite the popularity of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) proposal to raise the marginal tax rate for the wealthiest Americans to 70 percent--House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) revealed that he has no plans to serve the public interest by pushing for higher taxes for the rich.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy. They need her." --Waleed Shahid, Justice DemocratsSpeaking to the news outlet Cheddar, Hoyer scoffed and smirked when asked on Tuesday whether he would support the proposal--even as he undermined his own point, admitting that a 70 percent tax rate for the rich has in fact existed in the U.S. in the past.
Despite his stated view that "we need to get the deficit down" and "pay for our priorities and our needs," Hoyer claimed that asking Americans making more than $10 million per year--as Ocasio-Cortez proposed--"is not reasonable to attain either politically or frankly, I think, from a policy standpoint."
Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid compared Hoyer's statement to "mealy-mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance."
Watch:
Hoyer did not elaborate on why he believes the proposal to be unfeasible--an incongruous statement for an idea that 59 percent of Americans supported in a recent poll by The Hill and HarrisX. Though critics have attempted to portray a 70 percent top marginal tax rate as "radical," even a large number of Republican respondents--45 percent--approved of the proposal, along with 71 percent of Democrats.
Political scientist Corey Robin noted that Hoyer's comments should serve as a reminder that the Democratic Party has a ways to go in terms of pushing for bold proposals that a majority of Americans support.
Shahid added that the exchange underscores how urgently the Democratic establishment must end its attempts to dismiss and marginalize the ideas of Ocasio-Cortez--a representative who is intent on truly representing the priorities of her constituents and working families across the country.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy," wrote Shahid. "They need her."
Despite the popularity of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) proposal to raise the marginal tax rate for the wealthiest Americans to 70 percent--House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) revealed that he has no plans to serve the public interest by pushing for higher taxes for the rich.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy. They need her." --Waleed Shahid, Justice DemocratsSpeaking to the news outlet Cheddar, Hoyer scoffed and smirked when asked on Tuesday whether he would support the proposal--even as he undermined his own point, admitting that a 70 percent tax rate for the rich has in fact existed in the U.S. in the past.
Despite his stated view that "we need to get the deficit down" and "pay for our priorities and our needs," Hoyer claimed that asking Americans making more than $10 million per year--as Ocasio-Cortez proposed--"is not reasonable to attain either politically or frankly, I think, from a policy standpoint."
Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid compared Hoyer's statement to "mealy-mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance."
Watch:
Hoyer did not elaborate on why he believes the proposal to be unfeasible--an incongruous statement for an idea that 59 percent of Americans supported in a recent poll by The Hill and HarrisX. Though critics have attempted to portray a 70 percent top marginal tax rate as "radical," even a large number of Republican respondents--45 percent--approved of the proposal, along with 71 percent of Democrats.
Political scientist Corey Robin noted that Hoyer's comments should serve as a reminder that the Democratic Party has a ways to go in terms of pushing for bold proposals that a majority of Americans support.
Shahid added that the exchange underscores how urgently the Democratic establishment must end its attempts to dismiss and marginalize the ideas of Ocasio-Cortez--a representative who is intent on truly representing the priorities of her constituents and working families across the country.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy," wrote Shahid. "They need her."
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