Middle class crusader Obama pressurizes Congress to renew tax cuts

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The U.S. lawmakers were further pressurized by President Barack Obama on Monday not to let the middle class Americans down and give their nod to the continuation of tax cuts as economy limps back into recovery zone.

Addressing journalists at the Brady press room in the White House, the president asked Congress not to “raise taxes on” the American people, saying “Now is the time to keep growing the economy, to keep creating jobs, to keep giving working Americans the boost that they need.”

With a middle class crusader attitude, President Obama upped the pressure on Congress calling it “a terrible mistake for Congress to go home for the holidays without extending unemployment insurance.”

“If that happens, then in January they’ll be leaving 1.3 million Americans out in the cold. For a lot of families, this emergency insurance is the last line of defense between hardship and catastrophe,” said Obama, cautioning, “Taking that money out of the economy now would do extraordinary harm to the economy.”

Reminding the Republicans of their efforts a year ago in a bipartisan way with the Democrats, Obama said, “A year ago at this time, both parties came together to cut payroll taxes for the typical American family by about $1,000.”

“If Congress fails to renew this tax cut before then (the year end), that same family will see a tax hike of about $1,000 a year,” cautioned the president, challenging the Republicans, “Keep your word to the American people … Don’t raise taxes on them right now.”

According to fiscal pundits the current payroll tax of 4.2 percent is climb up to 6.2 percent at the start of 2012 if Congress doesn’t act to extend the reduced rate.

Later post-Obama speech, during the regular press briefing by Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, the administration unveiled a digital clock as a backdrop and also on its website, counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the tax cut will expire if Congress doesn’t act.

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