“Republicans are holding the middle class hostage to their demands on behalf of the richest 2 percent of Americans,” said the AFL-CIO Executive Council in a statement from its August meeting in Washington, D.C., this week. And, the council emphasized:

There can be no excuse for giving in to their demands to extend tax cuts for the 2 percent; cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits; tax workers’ health benefits; or sacrifice middle-class jobs.

Just yesterday, House Republicans approved (256-171) a bill to extend the Bush tax cuts for the nation’s wealthiest 2%— about $160,000 a year for the average millionaire. They defeated (257-170) a Democratic alternative to maintain the cuts for the middle class but end the tax breaks for the rich.

The council said that while President Obama and Democrats in Congress propose to extend tax cuts on income of less than $250,000 for all Americans,

Republicans threaten to block extension of these middle-class tax cuts unless tax cuts on income greater than $250,000 also are extended.  This is an indefensible position. 

On top of the unfairness of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, it has been shown to be bad economic policy.

The Bush-era tax cuts not only failed to create jobs, but they also were horribly expensive. They exploded the deficit and were a primary reason why budget surpluses under President Clinton turned into budget deficits under President Bush. It is hypocritical for people who claim to be deficit hawks to insist on throwing away $1 trillion on tax cuts that don’t work, for millionaires who don’t need them.

Instead the council said:

If we want to fix what is wrong with our economy, we have to stop catering to the demands of the richest 2 percent of Americans. We have to prioritize our needs, and right now America’s top three needs are jobs, jobs and jobs.

Read the full statement here.