Another day, another photo-op by Senator Kelly Ayotte.
Once again, Senator Ayotte is making her rounds at fast food drive-thrus, but don’t be fooled, Ayotte is no working man’s hero.
She’s spent her time in Washington working hard to protect big corporate executives and the top 1% get tax cuts at the expense of the middle and working class. Senator Ayotte might be all smiles today, but she’s voted at least four times against raising the minimum wage.
While the people Ayotte meets at her latest photo-op are struggling on less than a living wage, Senator Ayotte is making sure the Kochs and big corporations can continue to line their pockets on the backs of hard working Americans.
Senator Ayotte can cheese her way across the state all she likes — New Hampshire knows she doesn’t fight for working families.
Background:
AYOTTE VOTED AGAINST RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE AT LEAST FOUR TIMES
2015: Ayotte Voted Against Raising The Federal Minimum Wage By An Unspecified Amount. In March 2015, Ayotte voted against an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would [have] create[d] a deficit neutral reserve fund to allow for legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage.” The Senate rejected the proposed amendment to its version of the FY 2016 budget resolution by a vote of 48 to 52. [Senate Vote 93, 3/26/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
2014: Ayotte Effectively Voted Against Raising The Federal Minimum Wage By Nearly Three Dollars, To $10.10, By 2016. In April 2014, Ayotte effectively voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would [have] increase[d] the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 by 2016. It would gradually increase the minimum cash wage for workers who receive tips until it equals 70 percent of the federal minimum wage for other workers. It also would amend the tax code to extend through 2016 the $500,000 cap for small business expensing of investments eligible for deductions, including allowances for computer software and qualified real property.” The vote was on a motion to end debate on the motion to proceed to consider the legislation, which required 60 votes to succeed. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote 54 to 42. [Senate Vote 117, 4/30/14; Congressional Quarterly, 4/30/14]
2015: Ayotte Voted Against An Amendment Calling For A Substantial Increase In The Minimum Wage. In March 2015, Ayotte voted against an amendment sponsored by Sen. Sanders which, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “call[ed] for the creation of a deficit neutral reserve fund to promote a substantial increase in the federal minimum wage.” The underlying legislation was an FY 2016 budget resolution. The vote was on the amendment. The Senate Budget committee rejected the amendment by a vote of 10 to 12. [Congressional Quarterly, 3/19/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
2013: Ayotte Voted Against An Amendment Calling For An Increase In The Minimum Wage. In March 2013, Ayotte voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “create[d] a deficit-neutral reserve fund for legislation to increase the minimum wage.” The underlying legislation was an FY 2014 budget resolution. The Senate Budget committee adopted the amendment by a vote of 12 to 10. The full committee later approved the underlying bill, which was later passed by the full Senate. The House never took substantive action on this resolution. [Congressional Quarterly, 3/14/13; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 8]
Nashua Telegraph Editorial: Ayotte Voted To Derail A Bill To Raise The Minimum Wage. In an editorial, the Nashua Telegraph wrote, “Some of those people at the bottom of the income scale might have been helped by a bill in the U.S. Senate this week to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour, but that help won’t be coming anytime soon. Senate Republicans – including Sen. Kelly Ayotte of Nashua – voted to not vote on the bill itself, effectively derailing it for the time being.” [Nashua Telegraph, 5/2/14]
- Nashua Telegraph Editorial: Ayotte And Republicans Argued They Were “Trying To Prevent Those Poor Minimum-Wage Earners From Being Used As Political Pawns By The Unscrupulous Democrats That Are Pushing The Raise.” In an editorial, the Nashua Telegraph wrote, “One of the Republican arguments against raising the minimum wage is that Democrats are only pushing the issue to make Republicans look stingy as a means of gaining an advantage in the upcoming midterm elections. In other words, Republicans are trying to prevent those poor minimum-wage earners from being used as political pawns by the unscrupulous Democrats that are pushing the raise. Somehow, we suspect most of those earning $7.25 an hour would gladly sign up for this nakedly political exploitation if it also meant they could earn a few extra bucks to help them afford groceries for their children and pay for rent, utilities and other household expenses that now seem out of reach much too often.” [Nashua Telegraph, 5/2/14]
AYOTTE VOTED FOR THE TOOMEY BUDGET, WHICH ELIMINATED DEDUCTIONS FOR THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS TO FUND TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY
2012: Ayotte Voted To Consider Sen. Pat Toomey’s Proposed Budget That Cut All Marginal Tax Rates By 20 Percent While Purporting To Maintain Progressivity Through Cuts To Tax Expenditures. In May 2012, Ayotte voted to consider cutting all marginal tax rates by 20, as part of Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2013 to 2022. According to a press release from Sen. Toomey, his budget contained a provision that “proposes reducing all tax rates by 20 percent across the board.[…] The revenue lost from lower marginal rates will be offset by eliminating or reducing various tax expenditures in a manner that maintains progressivity. ” The vote was on a motion to proceed to consider the resolution; the motion failed by a vote of 42 to 57. [Senate Vote 99, 5/16/12; Senator Pat Toomey press release, 4/18/12]
- CBPP: The Toomey Budget Would “Raise Taxes On Low-Income Working Families At The Same Time That He Makes Permanent The Extremely Generous Bush Tax Cuts For The Wealthy.”According to The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Although Toomey does not mention it, his plan apparently would not extend certain expansions of tax credits for low-income working households, thereby cutting nearly $400 billion relative to current policy. The 2001-2003 Bush tax cuts, as well as subsequent legislation, expanded the earned income tax credit and child tax credit; these expansions are scheduled to expire at the end of 2012, along with the rest of the Bush tax cuts and certain other tax-cut measures. By allowing these expansions to expire, Toomey would raise taxes on low-income working families at the same time that he makes permanent the extremely generous Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.” [CBPP, 5/9/12]
2011: Ayotte Voted To Consider Sen. Pat Toomey’s FY 2012 Budget, Which Consolidated The Current Six Individual Income Tax Brackets Down To Three, And Lowered Marginal Rates. In May 2011, Ayotte voted to consider reducing the number of income tax brackets from six to three, as part of Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2012 to 2021. According to Sen. Pat Toomey’s “Restoring Balance,” the budget plan “calls for the consolidation of the current six personal income tax brackets into three brackets. It also seeks to lower marginal rates and eliminate special-interest tax loopholes and deductions.” The vote was on a motion to proceed to consider the resolution; the motion failed by a vote of 42 to 55. [Senate Vote 79, 5/25/11; Restoring Balance, 5/10/11]
AYOTTE VOTED TO PROTECT BUSH TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY
2012: Ayotte Voted Against A Bill That Would Have Extended The Bush Tax Cuts Through 2013, Except For Income Above $200,000. In July 2012, Ayotte voted against a bill under which, according to Reuters, “the Bush tax cuts would be extended through 2013, except on some income of the highest earners. Income beyond the $250,000 threshold would be taxed at either 36 percent or 39.6 percent. That would be up from the current 33 percent and 36 percent for the top two income groups.” According to the Congressional Research Service’s summary of the bill, the extension would apply to “an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income is less than the applicable threshold amount (i.e., $200,000 for individual taxpayers, $225,000 for heads of household, and $250,000 for married couples filing a joint tax return).” The bill – which addressed income tax, capital gains and dividend taxes, some tax credits from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and an Alternative Minimum Tax “patch” – passed the Senate by a vote of 51 to 48 on July 25, 2012, but it was never acted on by the House. [Senate Vote 184, 7/25/12; CRS Summary of S. 3412, 7/25/12]
2012: Ayotte Voted For Extending The 2001 And 2003 Bush Tax Cuts For All Taxpayers Through 2013. In July 2012, Ayotte voted for extending the income tax rate reductions of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers by changing their sunset dates from 2012 to 2013. The amendment was to a bill that would not have extended those tax cuts for income above $250,000. The amendment, which would have extended income tax, capital gains and dividends tax, and estate tax cuts and included an Alternative Minimum Tax “patch,” failed by a vote of 45 to 54. [Senate Vote 183, 7/25/12; Congressional Record, 7/25/12; Reuters, 7/25/12]
2010: Ayotte Argued For Making The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent. According to Foster’s Daily Democrat, “On the other side of the aisle, however, newly-elected Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte of Nashua said she favors making permanent any tax cuts that are slated to expire. ‘These provisions have been in place for nearly 10 years and must be kept in place,’ said Ayotte spokesman Jeff Grappone. ‘Raising taxes now would only make it harder to get our economy moving again.’” [Foster’s Daily Democrat, 11/7/10]
- 2010: During Her Senate Campaign, Ayotte Suggested Making The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent To “End The Class Warfare.”According to Foster’s Daily Democrat, “[Hodes] has said he’d repeal tax cuts imposed by former President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003 for individuals earning more than $200,000 a year and couples with incomes of $250,000; Ayotte voiced support for maintaining the tax cuts to ‘end the class warfare.’” [Foster’s Daily Democrat, 10/31/10]
Published: Nov 4, 2016 | Last Modified: Jan 18, 2024