Media Release

For Immediate Release: July 25, 2012

Charlottesville, VA: The U.S. Senate voted today to end the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans on a 51-49 vote. The bill is expected to go to the U.S. House of Representatives early next week. Sandra Cook, Virginia Organizing Chairperson, responded:

"Virginia Organizing would like to offer a sincere thank you to the U.S. Senate. Today the Senate took a stand, did the right thing, and said they were with the 98%. Everyone agrees that tax cuts should be extended to middle-income families to support the economy.

By giving cuts to those in the middle — 98% of us — our government is allowing those hard-working individuals to keep more of the money they earn. We have seen that when the middle class has more money, they spend it, and spending it leads to a boost in the economy, which leads to job creation and growth. 

The majority of our Senators took a stand against burdening the middle class to give tax breaks to the wealthy. The Senate showed us that 'we the people' are not just speaking to a brick wall, but our elected officials are listening to what we have to say. 

We know we face a difficult time with this bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, but today we celebrate that the Senate has done the right thing. Virginia Organizing urges our Representatives to follow in the Senate's footsteps and do the right thing for Americans."

Virginia Organizing considers tax fairness to be a key issue for all Virginians and is working toward a more just tax system where the wealthiest individuals pay their fair share. To speak to a Virginia Organizing spokesperson, please contact Amanda Pohl, 804-337-1912 or amanda@virginia-organizing.org.