Wasn’t Against ObamaCare’s Massive Tax Hikes, So Why The Sudden Change Of Heart?
For the last several years, liberal U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) has been all too happy to rubber-stamp President Obama’s wasteful spending and job-killing tax hikes in Washington – including the more than $500 billion in job-killing tax hikes contained in the massive Obama-Nelson health care overhaul.
But as Roll Call’s David Drucker noted today, as he faces an uphill reelection bid Nelson is suddenly changing his tune, telling reporters that he now opposes job-killing tax hikes, saying “Debt reduction should focus on spending cuts..Raising taxes at a time when our economy remains fragile takes us in the wrong direction. That won’t create jobs in Nebraska.”
“While it’s nice that Ben Nelson now recognizes the error of his tax-hiking ways, the unfortunate reality is that this comes too late for the thousands of Nebraska families and small businesses who will pay higher taxes because of ObamaCare,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox. “When Ben Nelson cut a backroom deal with President Obama and gave him the 60th vote, he didn’t just authorize a $500 billion cut to Medicare, but he also voted to raise taxes by $500 billion as well. Nebraskans deserve a Senator who is going to stand with them all the time, and not just when it’s politically convenient.”
Background
- The Health Care Bill Increases Taxes By $525 Billion Over The Next 10 Years. “The legislation will increase the size of the federal budget by increasing outlays by $411 billion and revenues by $525 billion over the next 10 years . . . .” (Congressional Budget Office, Director’s Blog, “The Effects of Health Reform on the Federal Budget,” 4/12/10)
