Hoyer says Congress may not be able to patch AMT

ARRA: Are Democrats Preparing to Sock 23 Million Middle-Class Americans with Massive Tax Hike? Check out Rep. Steny Hoyer's comments today:
by Mike Soraghan, The Hill: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) hinted Tuesday that Congress may not be able to stop a big tax increase from hitting 23 million Americans. Hoyer, pressed on whether Congress would resolve disputes over the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), said, “Maybe.” . . . Hoyer’s statement came the morning after nearly 30 conservative Blue Dog Democrats signaled their discontent with the Senate AMT plan by voting with Republicans against an adjournment resolution. . . . “There’s no deal” with the Blue Dogs. . . .

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) [said] . . . Hoyer’s remarks “another reminder that the Democrat majority’s priorities do not reflect those of the American people.” “Democrats created the AMT, repeatedly voted against Republican efforts to abolish it entirely, and have failed to stop it’s impending assault on 23 million middle-class American taxpayers,” he said. . . . An AMT patch must be passed soon to avoid a big tax hike. By waiting as long as they have, lawmakers have already raised the risk of a tax-filing mess that could provide fodder for political attacks. The IRS says it needs seven weeks from the time the president signs the AMT patch into law to update its forms and re-program its computers. . . [Read More]

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