Washington, D.C. – Senator Ron Johnson (WI) released the following statement regarding today’s vote in the Senate to allow taxes to rise for millions of Americans, while extending other tax rates at current levels:

“America is still mired in a weak economy, but instead of concentrating on economic growth, President Obama and Democrats in the Senate are playing politics.  Their class warfare tax hike would only raise enough revenue to fund the government for 6 days, but it would come at the very real expense of job creators.

“Small businesses in America – our economic and job creation engine – are struggling. Yet Democrats want to raise taxes on nearly one million of them just to serve an election strategy.  Raising taxes on small business will not help the 23 million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed, or who have lost hope and dropped out of the labor force.

"The damage doesn't end there.  In the same bill, Democrats also passed a dramatic increase in the Death Tax that would prevent many family farms and small businesses from being passed on to future generations.  

“Fortunately, this bill is only political theater, and has no chance of becoming law.  Unfortunately, our nation faces massive tax increases in 2013, and Senate Democrats like Senator Patty Murray are more than willing drive our economy off that "fiscal cliff.”

“The Republican-led House will soon pass legislation that will extend current tax rates for a year to give a new administration time to enact real pro-growth tax reform. Responsible leadership would not play games with the livelihoods of Americans.”

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