Del. Patrick Hope, who is running for Congress in Virginia’s 8th District, spoke in front of the IRS Building earlier this afternoon to express his support for the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) “People’s Budget,” which would among other things create a Millionaire’s Tax requiring millionaires and giant corporations to pay their fair share in taxes. According to Del. Hope, federal programs are under attack by people who say we need to cut those programs to balance the budget. Hope says, “I reject that premise entirely,” and notes that the CPC budget brings in more revenue by restoring Clinton-era tax rates for those earning $250,000-$1 million per year, and establishing new rates for those earning more than $1 million per year. The CPC budget also closes the loophole that allowed Mitt Romney to pay less than a 15% tax rate. According to Hope, we need to fight to keep our social safety net fully intact, and we can do that in part by closing tax loopholes that disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans.
Hope also announces that he’s releasing his tax returns, and calls on every candidate for Congress from the 8th CD to do the same thing. And, in response to a question by yours truly, he says he “absolutely” supports a carbon tax as the “linchpin of any proposal on climate change.”
P.S. Editorial note: now that I’ve narrowed my possible picks in this race down to 4 candidates, I’m going to start posting about them more on the Blue Virginia “front page.” It’s time to really start focusing the mind here…
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