Insists On Job-Killing Tax Hikes, Raising Debt Ceiling Without Spending Reform

In the wake of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and the Democrats’ deficit spending binge in Washington, our national debt now stands at a record-high $14.3 trillion.  But rather than taking America’s debt and spending crisis seriously and getting Washington’s spending under control, Menendez continues to demand job-killing tax hikes – even as more of his fellow Democrats join Republicans in demanding that job-killing tax hikes be taken off the table.

As Roll Call’s David Drucker noted just minutes ago, liberal Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson came out today against 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.”

Meanwhile, as The Hill reported last week, “[West Virginia Democrat Senator Joe] Manchin, who is a top GOP target in next year’s elections, has said he will not vote to raise the debt ceiling without spending reforms, and sides with the Republicans on keeping tax raises off the table.  ‘I don’t believe in tax hikes,’ Manchin said. ‘We have to start living within our means in this country.’”

“Once again, Bob Menendez is putting his narrow Washington agenda over the interests of New Jersey’s middle-class families, demanding trillions of dollars in job-killing new tax hikes with national unemployment at 9.1 percent,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond.  “It’s outrageous that Menendez wants to take more money from hardworking people in New Jersey so he can spend it on his government programs in Washington.” 

Notably, Menendez is the only sitting U.S. Senator currently under federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.