Sherrod Brown: "No Deal Mr. President" [View All]

It’s simple: The deal President Obama struck with Senate Republicans on taxes gives up too much to the super-wealthy without getting enough for the middle class. The Republican strategy of obstruction--their sheer refusal to help Americans in need during the holiday season unless the wealthiest Americans get another tax cut they don’t need and we can’t afford--is morally reprehensible. We shouldn’t give in to that kind of behavior. We should fight it.

Sherrod Brown's diary :: ::

I’m disappointed in the President’s decision to give up so much. But now progressives have a decision of our own to make. Are we going to let this bad deal move forward? Or are we going to stand up and fight for the middle class families who deserve better?

I’m ready to fight. And if you are, too, I hope you’ll take a moment to co-sign my letter to President Obama. Within the first few hours after I announced this campaign on “The Ed Schultz Show” yesterday, more than 3,000 progressives signed the letter--and the more people we have on board, the stronger our case will be that President Obama should go back to the table and get a better deal for working families.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear Mr. President,

With our economy struggling, our working families hurting, and our deficit crisis worsening every year, we need to take action to create jobs, bolster the middle class, and bring our budget into balance.

But the agreement you’ve struck with Senate Republicans is a bad deal. It doubles down on a failed strategy of tax cuts for the super-wealthy that would explode our deficit without strengthening our economy. It’s too high a price to pay for the support of those who have continually refused to put the middle class first.

Instead of giving in to obstruction, we should fight it. I am willing to stay in session as long as it takes to overcome a filibuster and extend both unemployment benefits for jobless Americans and tax cuts for the middle class. If our colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to spend their holidays refusing to help working families struggling to enjoy a Christmas of their own unless their wealthy friends get another bailout, let them.

Mr. President, I know that you share my desire to pass good economic policies that help working families. But a deal that also includes bad policies that will worsen our deficit and fail to help our economy falls short. By standing our ground and standing strong for the middle class, we can do better. And I urge you to do just that.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown
U.S. Senator