NJCA Condemns Van Drew “No” vote on bi-partisan compromise for debt ceiling

Newark, June 1, 2023—After yesterday’s House Congressional vote on the bi-partisan bill on the debt ceiling, New Jersey Citizen Action Director of Organizing Liz Glynn released the following statement:

“Once again, Representative Jeff Van Drew has made his priorities absolutely clear with this latest vote: more tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations;  fewer services and programs for seniors, working families, people of color, veterans, and New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents.

Republicans’ worries about ‘fiscal responsibility’ don’t extend to giving away free money to the wealthiest people in America even though tax breaks for the wealthy have contributed heavily to national debt over the last decade.  Instead, the GOP only worries about national debt when it comes to spending on healthcare, education, nutrition and public safety programs that serve regular working people. 

Republicans brought the nation to the brink of default over spending and the deficit while at the same time refusing to enforce taxes on people making more than $400,000 annually and pushing to extend the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy and biggest corporations, which would add trillions more to the deficit over the next decade. The Fiscal Responsibility Act might be a good deal for America’s wealthy households, but not for New Jerseyans dealing with under-funded services, high inflation, and rising costs for health care, food, and rent. 

Van Drew had the opportunity to urge GOP leadership to close tax loopholes or increase taxes on millionaires and billionaires who pay lower tax rates than middle-class workers in order to address rising debt and the need for increased investment in services. Instead he voted for a bill that enables rich people to keep cheating on their taxes, draining money from the national economy and making our two- tiered tax system more unfair. And by voting against the bi-partisan bill yesterday, Van Drew voted against working families, against seniors, against people of color, and against low-and moderate-income individuals, including many of his own constituents.” 

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New Jersey Citizen Action is a statewide advocacy and social service organization that advocates for social, racial and economic justice for all while also meeting the pressing needs of low and moderate income New Jerseyans through education and direct service.