SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was dismissive of the idea that the incomes of the richest Americans should be taxed at 70 percent, despite the broad popularity of the proposal. (Photo: AFGE/Flickr/cc)
Steny Hoyer Deploys 'Republican-Lite Talking Points' to Oppose 70% Tax Rate on Ultra-Rich That Most Americans Want
The bold agenda being pushed by lawmakers like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez "is not a litany of progressive issues; it's an agenda to renew and expand the social contract by directly addressing the crises that will define American life for years to come."
Jan 15, 2019
Despite the popularity of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) proposal to raise the marginal tax rate for the wealthiest Americans to 70 percent--House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) revealed that he has no plans to serve the public interest by pushing for higher taxes for the rich.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy. They need her." --Waleed Shahid, Justice DemocratsSpeaking to the news outlet Cheddar, Hoyer scoffed and smirked when asked on Tuesday whether he would support the proposal--even as he undermined his own point, admitting that a 70 percent tax rate for the rich has in fact existed in the U.S. in the past.
Despite his stated view that "we need to get the deficit down" and "pay for our priorities and our needs," Hoyer claimed that asking Americans making more than $10 million per year--as Ocasio-Cortez proposed--"is not reasonable to attain either politically or frankly, I think, from a policy standpoint."
Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid compared Hoyer's statement to "mealy-mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance."
Watch:
\u201cSteny Hoyer scoffs at @AOC\u2019s proposed 70% marginal tax rates on millionaires and billionaires.\n\nHoyer is clearly confused about how to respond and is offering mealy mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
Hoyer did not elaborate on why he believes the proposal to be unfeasible--an incongruous statement for an idea that 59 percent of Americans supported in a recent poll by The Hill and HarrisX. Though critics have attempted to portray a 70 percent top marginal tax rate as "radical," even a large number of Republican respondents--45 percent--approved of the proposal, along with 71 percent of Democrats.
Political scientist Corey Robin noted that Hoyer's comments should serve as a reminder that the Democratic Party has a ways to go in terms of pushing for bold proposals that a majority of Americans support.
\u201cI'm of course super excited by what AOC and other new representatives are doing, but let's not forget what the Democratic Party still is. it's easy to dismiss the Joe Liebermans and Mark Penns as relics of the old regime, but Hoyer is the House Majority Leader.\u201d— corey robin (@corey robin) 1547605238
Shahid added that the exchange underscores how urgently the Democratic establishment must end its attempts to dismiss and marginalize the ideas of Ocasio-Cortez--a representative who is intent on truly representing the priorities of her constituents and working families across the country.
\u201c.@AOC's politics were formed during a revival of grassroots social movements like Occupy and #BlackLivesMatter that learned to speak to often-neglected constituencies.\n\nNow she's showing Dems they can fight to take money + power from the elite and give it to all working people.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
\u201cAlexandria's agenda is not a litany of progressive issues; it\u2019s an agenda to renew and expand the social contract by directly addressing the crises that will define American life for years to come.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy," wrote Shahid. "They need her."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Despite the popularity of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) proposal to raise the marginal tax rate for the wealthiest Americans to 70 percent--House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) revealed that he has no plans to serve the public interest by pushing for higher taxes for the rich.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy. They need her." --Waleed Shahid, Justice DemocratsSpeaking to the news outlet Cheddar, Hoyer scoffed and smirked when asked on Tuesday whether he would support the proposal--even as he undermined his own point, admitting that a 70 percent tax rate for the rich has in fact existed in the U.S. in the past.
Despite his stated view that "we need to get the deficit down" and "pay for our priorities and our needs," Hoyer claimed that asking Americans making more than $10 million per year--as Ocasio-Cortez proposed--"is not reasonable to attain either politically or frankly, I think, from a policy standpoint."
Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid compared Hoyer's statement to "mealy-mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance."
Watch:
\u201cSteny Hoyer scoffs at @AOC\u2019s proposed 70% marginal tax rates on millionaires and billionaires.\n\nHoyer is clearly confused about how to respond and is offering mealy mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
Hoyer did not elaborate on why he believes the proposal to be unfeasible--an incongruous statement for an idea that 59 percent of Americans supported in a recent poll by The Hill and HarrisX. Though critics have attempted to portray a 70 percent top marginal tax rate as "radical," even a large number of Republican respondents--45 percent--approved of the proposal, along with 71 percent of Democrats.
Political scientist Corey Robin noted that Hoyer's comments should serve as a reminder that the Democratic Party has a ways to go in terms of pushing for bold proposals that a majority of Americans support.
\u201cI'm of course super excited by what AOC and other new representatives are doing, but let's not forget what the Democratic Party still is. it's easy to dismiss the Joe Liebermans and Mark Penns as relics of the old regime, but Hoyer is the House Majority Leader.\u201d— corey robin (@corey robin) 1547605238
Shahid added that the exchange underscores how urgently the Democratic establishment must end its attempts to dismiss and marginalize the ideas of Ocasio-Cortez--a representative who is intent on truly representing the priorities of her constituents and working families across the country.
\u201c.@AOC's politics were formed during a revival of grassroots social movements like Occupy and #BlackLivesMatter that learned to speak to often-neglected constituencies.\n\nNow she's showing Dems they can fight to take money + power from the elite and give it to all working people.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
\u201cAlexandria's agenda is not a litany of progressive issues; it\u2019s an agenda to renew and expand the social contract by directly addressing the crises that will define American life for years to come.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy," wrote Shahid. "They need her."
Despite the popularity of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) proposal to raise the marginal tax rate for the wealthiest Americans to 70 percent--House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) revealed that he has no plans to serve the public interest by pushing for higher taxes for the rich.
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy. They need her." --Waleed Shahid, Justice DemocratsSpeaking to the news outlet Cheddar, Hoyer scoffed and smirked when asked on Tuesday whether he would support the proposal--even as he undermined his own point, admitting that a 70 percent tax rate for the rich has in fact existed in the U.S. in the past.
Despite his stated view that "we need to get the deficit down" and "pay for our priorities and our needs," Hoyer claimed that asking Americans making more than $10 million per year--as Ocasio-Cortez proposed--"is not reasonable to attain either politically or frankly, I think, from a policy standpoint."
Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid compared Hoyer's statement to "mealy-mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance."
Watch:
\u201cSteny Hoyer scoffs at @AOC\u2019s proposed 70% marginal tax rates on millionaires and billionaires.\n\nHoyer is clearly confused about how to respond and is offering mealy mouthed Republican-lite talking points in place of a vision of Democratic governance.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
Hoyer did not elaborate on why he believes the proposal to be unfeasible--an incongruous statement for an idea that 59 percent of Americans supported in a recent poll by The Hill and HarrisX. Though critics have attempted to portray a 70 percent top marginal tax rate as "radical," even a large number of Republican respondents--45 percent--approved of the proposal, along with 71 percent of Democrats.
Political scientist Corey Robin noted that Hoyer's comments should serve as a reminder that the Democratic Party has a ways to go in terms of pushing for bold proposals that a majority of Americans support.
\u201cI'm of course super excited by what AOC and other new representatives are doing, but let's not forget what the Democratic Party still is. it's easy to dismiss the Joe Liebermans and Mark Penns as relics of the old regime, but Hoyer is the House Majority Leader.\u201d— corey robin (@corey robin) 1547605238
Shahid added that the exchange underscores how urgently the Democratic establishment must end its attempts to dismiss and marginalize the ideas of Ocasio-Cortez--a representative who is intent on truly representing the priorities of her constituents and working families across the country.
\u201c.@AOC's politics were formed during a revival of grassroots social movements like Occupy and #BlackLivesMatter that learned to speak to often-neglected constituencies.\n\nNow she's showing Dems they can fight to take money + power from the elite and give it to all working people.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
\u201cAlexandria's agenda is not a litany of progressive issues; it\u2019s an agenda to renew and expand the social contract by directly addressing the crises that will define American life for years to come.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1547595696
"The tactics of insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez may irritate party leaders to no end, but the friction still serves to provide the Democratic Party an actual vision and ideology to govern through the systemic crises in our country: inequality, climate, racism, and oligarchy," wrote Shahid. "They need her."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.