Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Representative Rob Wittman (VA-1) today voted to send H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011, to a conference committee, which continues negotiations between the House and Senate to resolve differences in the bill between the two chambers. Wittman supports efforts to provide continued tax relief, and released the following statement:

“I am as frustrated as many of you are that this clear and simple effort to extend payroll tax reductions for the next year is not completed. Congress once again has brought negotiations to the brink and, Americans once again wait as a deadline quickly approaches, this time on tax relief expiring on December 31, 2011. I do not believe Congress should simply pack it up and go home. Shutting the door and going home is simply not the right way to resolve the differences on this legislation. The issue is extending tax relief and avoiding uncertainty in our economy: this is too important to play games over – Americans deserve better.

Last week, Rep. Wittman voted for H.R. 3630, which provided a one-year extension of tax relief, extended unemployment benefits for 13 months and reformed the program to focus it on getting people training and education they need to get back to work, and protected seniors’ health care for the next two years by ensuring a change in the Medicare reimbursement structure isn’t reflected on their health care bills. The House passed H.R. 3630 on Tuesday, December 13, 2011.

Wittman added, “I voted to extend tax relief to hardworking taxpayers. I do not want to see any American’s taxes go up on January 1, 2012.  I believe Congress should stop playing political games and do what is right for the American people. Congress should stay in town until this job is completed.”

The motion to send H.R. 3630 to a conference committee passed 229-193, and now awaits action by the Senate.

Representative Rob Wittman represents the First Congressional District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

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