US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants a vote before November elections on whether to extend tax cuts for those with annual income over $250,000 a year, she said in an interview broadcast on Sunday. "The tax cuts for the wealthiest (with income of) $250,000 and above, were the Bush initiative," Pelosi said on ABC's "This Week," referring to former President George W. Bush.
"I don't see any reason why we should renew a tax cut that only gives a tax cut to the wealthiest people in America, increases the deficit, and doesn't create jobs," Pelosi said. "That doesn't make any sense."
Asked directly whether she would push for a House vote before the November 2 election on whether to extend tax cuts for the middle class while letting those for wealthier citizens expire, Pelosi replied, "It would be my hope." She said nearly $300 billion in economic stimulus funds were middle class tax cuts.
"The Republicans want to have the tax cuts and they want it unpaid for, $700 billion added to the deficit for an initiative that does not create jobs," Pelosi said.
In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the federal government should simply allow the Bush tax cuts to expire.
"I'm very much in favour of tax cuts, but not with borrowed money," he said. "And the problem that we've come to in recent years is spending programs are funded with borrowed money, tax cuts with borrowed money. At the end of the day that proves disastrous." When asked if he agrees with Republicans who say that tax cuts pay for themselves, Greenspan, who led the US central bank for nearly 20 years, simply said: "They do not." New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told "Meet the Press" that he believes the tax cuts should continue "for another couple of years."
Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, appearing alongside Bloomberg and Greenspan, said the cuts should be phased out but the plan for doing so should be decided after the Congressional elections in order to lessen political battles between the parties. Bloomberg said that the economy was in a state of paralysis because workers, corporate leaders, small business owners and political figures all feel great uncertainty.
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