Our United States “senator” – Scott Brown
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reposting:
Five things you won’t hear Scott Brown say (i.e. the truth) about his tax record
By Jason A. Stephany
This summer, US Senator Scott Brown delivered what his office claimed would be a “major policy speech” on taxes. To the surprise of few in Massachusetts, Brown’s remarks turned out to be nothing more than the stereotypical, failed tax rhetoric of his Republican colleagues in Washington. More telling were the facts Brown failed to mention about his voting record on taxes. Here are five true statements we didn’t hear from the junior senator in Randolph:
1. “I voted to give tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas.”
Scott Brown voted to filibuster the Creating American Jobs & Ending Offshoring Act, a bill would have ended tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs or build plants and offices offshore to replace American facilities. The vote came as thousands of American workers face impending layoffs while training their replacements from China, India, and elsewhere. (US Senate roll call vote #242, 9/28/10)
2. “I gave $24 billion of your tax dollars to Big Oil.”
In the face of drastic budget cuts, Scott Brown voted three times to give more than $24 billion in taxpayer funds to the oil industry over the next decade. The top five Big Oil companies – BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell – are amongst the most profitable corporations in the world, posting $137 billion in profits in 2011 alone. (US Senate roll call votes #187 6/15/10; #72, 5/17/11; #63, 3/29/12)
3. “I’d really like to take more money out of your paycheck.”
Scott Brown voted to filibuster legislation to extend the payroll tax cut for working families – holding low and middle income workers hostage to shield the wealthiest Americans from a small surtax on income over $1 million. In effect, Brown cast a deciding vote to raise taxes on 113 million working families. In Massachusetts, the surtax would have affected just 0.6% of taxpayers with an average income of more than $2 million. (US Senate roll call vote #219, 12/1/11)
4. “I support tax breaks for millionaires…just not middle class or low-income families.”
Three times in 2010 and again in 2012, Scott Brown voted to kill measures that would extend tax cuts for the middle class. Like his vote for payroll tax hikes, Brown used the same rationale to justify his votes to raise taxes on middle and low-income families: those making $250,000 to $1 million or more each year shouldn’t have to pay their fair share like the rest of his Massachusetts constituents. (US Senate roll call votes #258 & #259, 12/4/10; #275, 12/15/10; #184, 7/25/12)
5. “I filibustered tax credits and loans that help small businesses grow and create jobs.”
Despite his claims of supporting job creators, Scott Brown repeatedly filibustered and opposed major legislation that helps small businesses grown and create jobs. Brown twice voted to filibuster the Small Business Jobs & Credit Act – a bill that connected growing small businesses to credit through community banks and offered significant tax credits to small firms that create American jobs. When his filibuster failed, Brown voted again to kill the legislation. The Massachusetts Bankers Association stated that failure to act on the bill “would be a missed opportunity that our struggling economy cannot afford.” (US Senate roll call votes #218 & #221, 7/29/10; #237, 9/14/10)
Per usual, Senator Brown took no questions from constituents or reporters, ducking out a back door immediately following his speech.
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Scott Brown voted against President Obama’s health care plan 3 times. Then he insured his daughter under the very plan he voted against.
From The Boston Globe:
By Glen Johnson THE BOSTON GLOBE
“U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who won office vowing to be the 41st vote to block President Obama’s health care law and who has since voted three times to repeal it, acknowledged Monday that he takes advantage of it to keep his elder daughter on his congressional health insurance plan.
” ”Of course I do,” the Massachusetts Republican told the Globe.
“Brown is insuring his daughter Ayla, a professional singer who is 23 years old, under a widely popular provision of the law requiring that family plans cover children up to age 26.
“Brown said the extended use of his congressional coverage is not inconsistent with his criticism of the federal law, enacted over his objection after he won a special election in 2010, because the same coverage could be required by individual states.
“On the campaign trail this year, Brown has said he still wants to repeal the law, which he argues is inferior to the health care law enacted by Massachusetts in 2006.
” ”I’ve said right from the beginning, that if there are things that we like, we should take advantage of them and bring them back here to Massachusetts,” the senator said.
“As to whether the federal law should be repealed or rewritten, Brown replied: “I’ve already voted to repeal it. You know where I stand on this. This isn’t news.”
“His political opponent said that Brown is being hypocritical.
” ”Sen. Scott Brown has gone Washington,” said Alethea Harney, spokeswoman for Democrat Elizabeth Warren.
” “He says he likes being able to keep his daughter on the family health insurance plan. What he doesn’t say is that he voted to stop other parents from doing the same.” “
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Brown’s daughter, according to the Globe article, is a “former “American Idol” contestant” who “has worked as a correspondent for the CBS “Early Show” and is a professional singer.”
The Globe states: “Brown’s younger daughter, Arianna, is 21 and graduating after just three years at Syracuse University. She, too, will be able to keep her coverage under the congressional plan through the Obama law.
” ”I’ve always said that I love covering my daughter until 26 years old,” Brown said in an interview … .“
Pathetic.
– R. Tirella
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Unemployed workers share Scott Brown’s anti-jobs record
Worcester – Unemployed constituents from the Worcester area sent a loud-and-clear message to US Senator Scott Brown yesterday at Worcester State University: “We won’t be fooled.”
Dozens of out-of-work residents gathered at the Bay State Jobs Fair to share the junior senator’s multitude of votes against jobs with event attendees. The cast of concerned job-seekers fanned out across the campus, ensuring that area residents knew the truth about Brown’s eight votes to end employment benefits.
They spread the word about Brown’s vote to gut 400,000 jobs for teachers, fire fighters and police officers across the country, as well as his vote to keep 11,000 construction workers in the unemployment line.
And they were sure to point out that Scott Brown did all that while protecting tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas.
With Scott Brown already stamping out more than two million jobs in less than two years, unemployed constituents promised to carry their public education effort to future job-related events hosted by the senator or his staff.