Jeff Merkley Takes Aim at Smith for Opposing Middle-class Job Creation

Smith Sides with Bush-Cheney, Against Working Families

Gordon Smith voted today against creating approximately 500,000 new, family-wage construction and green-collar jobs. [Vote #85, 3/14/08; Chairman's Mark of FY 2009 Budget Resolution, 3/6/08]

This morning's series of votes is the latest example of Gordon Smith siding with special interests and against creating and protecting jobs in Oregon. In 2003, Gordon Smith cast the deciding vote for John McCain's amendment to encourage outsourcing by exempting the Department of Defense from the Buy American Act. The final vote in the U.S. Senate was 50-48. [Senate vote #191, 5/21/03] Had he voted against the amendment, Smith could have prevented family-wage jobs from being sent overseas.

While more moderate Republicans opted to support a balanced federal budget that created good jobs, cut taxes on the middle class and made college more affordable, Gordon Smith voted to continue George Bush's efforts to serve the wealthy and stifle economic growth for middle-class families.

"I know something about passing a balanced budget that protects our priorities and invests in job creation, health care, and education," House Speaker Jeff Merkley said. "Today Gordon Smith ignored the interests of families in Oregon and toted the line for George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the special interests that are supporting his reelection. I'm a little surprised actually. He usually plays better election year politics than this."

In a series of votes early this morning on the federal budget, Smith voted:

Against approximately 500,000 new good-paying construction and green collar jobs;
Against shutting down tax shelters that let U.S. corporations evade billions in taxes by re-incorporating in the Cayman Islands and other offshore locations;
Against a $10 billion investment in the roads and bridges that are the lifeblood of our economy, which would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs;
Against middle class tax relief, including an extension of the child tax credit and the marriage penalty, unless multi-millionaires get more tax breaks averaging $120,000 per year;
Against an extension of tuition tax credits that helps make college more affordable to middle class families;
Against restoring over $2 billion in proposed cuts to job training and vocational education programs to help youth and adults prepare for 21st century jobs;
Against major new investments in clean energy and the green collar jobs they create;
Against $3.2 billion veterans' programs, covering the amount veterans' groups have identified as necessary to address shortfalls in health care, prosthetic research, benefits backlogs, and construction.

[Vote #85, 3/14/08; Chairman's Mark of FY 2009 Budget Resolution, 3/6/08]

Posted March 14, 2008
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