Coleman Can’t Escape Bush Economy

01/28/2008

As Minnesotans Find Themselves in a Recession, Norm Coleman Must Defend Reckless Support of Bush Tax Cuts, Deficit-Busting Budgets, and CAFTA


St. Paul, MN (January 25, 2008) As Senator Norm Coleman holds a town-hall meeting in Rochester today to discuss the faltering economy, the Minnesota DFL Party said that Coleman cannot escape his unfailing support of the Bush Administration’s failing economic policies.

“From day one, Senator Norm Coleman marched in lock-step with President Bush by supporting tax giveaways for the rich, by voting for budgets that dramatically increased the deficit, and by selling out American jobs,” said Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez.

“Now that he’s up for reelection, Coleman wants us to forget his staunch support for Republican economic policies that leave middle-class families in the dust,” continued Melendez. “But Minnesotans need and want someone who can stand up for our state. Senator Coleman has failed to fight for regular Minnesotans on every front and now Minnesotans are paying the price.”

Coleman Can’t Run Away from Bush Economy:

Minnesota Enters Recession. “Minnesota lost 2,300 jobs last month, capping a string of declines, 23,000 jobs in all, over the last six months of 2007. That's the worst run of Minnesota job declines since the last U.S. recession in 2001. It also wiped away all of the job growth in the first half of 2007.” [Star Tribune, 1/16/08]

Stalled Economy Has Coleman Worried About Reelection? “A U.S. economy teetering on the verge of a recession has many Americans concerned about their jobs — including a number of United States senators … In the last month, the economy shrank in 23 states, including Louisiana, Oregon, Minnesota and New Hampshire … GOP candidates are the most likely to feel the pressure as four of the five tightest re-elections in the Senate feature Republican incumbents: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), John Sununu (R-N.H.), and Norm Coleman (R-Minn.). [The Hill, 1/24/08]

Backed Making 2001 Bush Tax Cut Package Permanent. During the 2002 campaign, Coleman said he wanted to make permanent most of a $1.3 trillion tax-cut bill championed by President George W. Bush that was scheduled to expire in 2011. [St. Paul Pioneer Press, 8/19/02]

Coleman Voted for $330 Billion Tax-Cut Package; Two-Thirds of Tax Cuts Went to Top Ten Percent. In May 2003, Coleman voted for final approval of a $330 billion, six-year package of tax cuts. The measure was the third-largest tax cut in U.S. history. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, more than two-thirds of the tax cuts in the conference report supported by Coleman went to the top ten percent of taxpayers. The top one percent of taxpayers received 39 percent of the tax cuts while the bottom 60 percent of taxpayers received only 8.6 percent. The average tax cut for the bottom 60 percent of taxpayers was less than $100 per year. [Vote #196, 5/23/03; Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/24/03; ]http://www.ctj.org/pdf/sen0522.pdf]

Coleman Supported CAFTA, Labor Unions Called CAFTA Devastating. In June 2005, Coleman voted twice in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The National Farmers Union said CAFTA was a threat to U.S. producers. Nick Sinner, executive director of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, said the compromise fell short, saying, “Quite frankly, we view these as short-term fixes to a long term problem…We don't view these as being a long term solution.” [NFU Press Release, 6/29/05; Vote #170, 6/30/05; Vote #169, 6/29/05; CQ Today, 7/1/05; St. Paul Pioneer Press, 6/30/05]

Coleman Consistently Voted for Budget Bills That Increased Deficit. Coleman voted for budgets that increased the federal budget deficit, in 2003 by $2.4 trillion and in 2005 by $168 billion. [Vote #134, 4/11/03; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/17/03; Vote #114, 4/28/05; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/28/05]

Coleman Voted Against Responsible Pay-As-You-Go Budget Bills in 2007. In 2007, he voted twice against budgets that would eliminate the deficit by 2012, extend middle-class tax cuts, and restore funding for children’s healthcare. [Vote #114, 3/23/07; Sen. Kent Conrad Release, 3/23/07; Vote #172, 5/17/07; Sen. Kent Conrad Press Release, 5/17/07]

Coleman Opposed Pay-As-You-Go Limits. Coleman has voted at least five times against measures to create pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules to restrict deficit spending. [Vote #172, 5/17/07; Twice in November 05: Vote #340, 11/17/05 and Vote #283, 11/3/05; Vote #53, 3/16/05; Vote #38, 3/10/04; Vote #200, 5/23/03]