The Anger Blog, Repubs Say 'No' to Tax Break for Small Business

Repubs Say 'No' to Tax Break for Small Business. How can any American not be angry at one of the latest Republican stunts in the U.S. Senate? Legislation was proposed that would provide a ten percent tax break for small businesses that hired new employees or expanded their payrolls. As if this potential benefit to business owners wasn't enough to garner every senator's vote, the bill included a provision that enabled businesses to deduct 100% (instead of the current 50% rate) of certain new equipment investments. And even though this legislation was one of President Obama's top priorities, it also had support among the Republicans in Congress.

One of the Republicans' chief criticisms of President Obama is that his policies are not creating enough jobs. They also complain that his policies are hurting small businesses. The recent proposal put before the Senate would help remedy both of these situations, aiding the businesses as well as employees and potential employees alike. Independent estimates predicted one million jobs might be created via this legislation.

So why didn't this popular legislation pass quite easily in the Senate? It was never allowed to be put to a vote! Because it was blocked by a Mitch McConnell Republican-led filibuster, which requires 60 votes to break. Even though the Senate Republicans say they support small businesses and want more jobs created for the middle class, they just couldn't do it because they weren't able to add on an amendment to extend the Bush tax cuts for another year. This action (or inaction) shows exactly where the Senate Republicans' loyalties lie, with corporate America and the wealthiest one or two percent, not with the middle class that makes up the largest percentage by far of any group in the country and has been hit the hardest by the current financial situation. Why shouldn't Congress pass this legislation, in order to give a boost to the American economy, and then deal with the Bush tax cuts separately?

The GOP complains that the Democratic administration doesn't compromise. Who do they think extended the Bush tax cuts when they were set to expire in 2010? Republican legislators consider (or try to make the public see) the expiration of these tax cuts as a tax increase, and they blame "the increase" on President Obama if they expire. However, have they forgotten that President George W. Bush, who proposed the legislation and got it passed, had set an expiration date of 2010?

The Republicans in Congress and their presidential nominee continue to berate President Obama for his 'failed' economic policies when, in fact, he has been unable to get them past the most Republican filibustering Senate (over 300 and counting) in history. This same filibustering was used by the Republicans last year to keep President Obama's Jobs Bill from being advanced for a straight vote. Again, this obstructionist action was in spite of the fact that, in the Senate, it had majority support.

Senator Mitch McConnell has kept his word when, after President Obama was elected in 2008, he stated that his job was to ensure Obama remained a single-term president. What is best for America and for the majority of the American people does not seem to fit into his job description … unless you are viewing it from the perspective of the top 1% in this country.