By Billy House
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON – Florida U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite is lashing out at the media for "generating controversy" and Democrats for unfair attacks regarding her press release last week calling Puerto Ricans “foreign citizens.”
The Brooksville Republican says her comments in that press release had been intended to explain her opposition to sending federal income tax rebate checks to territorial citizens who do not pay federal income taxes.
“The facts are that I have already issued a clarification that using the word territorial would have been a better choice of words; case closed. But the original issue of my press release stands unchallenged,” insisted Brown-Waite, in her statement today.
She added: “Is it fair or fiscally responsible to give tax rebate checks to folks who have not paid into the federal income tax system? My 5th District residents, and most Americans, would answer no,”
“When I was elected to Congress, I was elected to represent the 5th District, the interests of Florida, and to be a fiscal conservative. The important issue here is whether or not people who do not pay federal income taxes should get tax rebate checks as part of the economic stimulus package,” said Brown-Waite.
“Those who are personally attacking me are just seeking to mask the fact that territorial residents will be getting rebate checks from federal income taxes they never paid,” she said.
“Apparently, when fiscal conservatives have facts on their side, like I do here, the only way to defeat them is to attack us personally,” said Brown-Waite. “Whether it is Bill Clinton in South Carolina, Hillary Clinton in California or frequent Democratic congressional candidate Charlie Stuart in Central Florida today, we are seeing Democrats sink to new levels in desperation to capture Latino votes in Florida.”
“Orlando area Democrat leaders have taken a detailed policy discussion and turned it into a personal attack. Perhaps they realized that they cannot win on the issues, so they have resorted to name calling and demagoguery,” said Brown-Waite.
She added: “My constituents overwhelmingly want a fiscally conservative economic growth package that makes the tax cuts permanent, cuts the corporate tax rate, currently the highest in the world, and includes a stimulus for our seniors and veterans. Anything else is a job half done.”
The Brooksville Republican says her comments in that press release had been intended to explain her opposition to sending federal income tax rebate checks to territorial citizens who do not pay federal income taxes.
“The facts are that I have already issued a clarification that using the word territorial would have been a better choice of words; case closed. But the original issue of my press release stands unchallenged,” insisted Brown-Waite, in her statement today.
She added: “Is it fair or fiscally responsible to give tax rebate checks to folks who have not paid into the federal income tax system? My 5th District residents, and most Americans, would answer no,”
“When I was elected to Congress, I was elected to represent the 5th District, the interests of Florida, and to be a fiscal conservative. The important issue here is whether or not people who do not pay federal income taxes should get tax rebate checks as part of the economic stimulus package,” said Brown-Waite.
“Those who are personally attacking me are just seeking to mask the fact that territorial residents will be getting rebate checks from federal income taxes they never paid,” she said.
“Apparently, when fiscal conservatives have facts on their side, like I do here, the only way to defeat them is to attack us personally,” said Brown-Waite. “Whether it is Bill Clinton in South Carolina, Hillary Clinton in California or frequent Democratic congressional candidate Charlie Stuart in Central Florida today, we are seeing Democrats sink to new levels in desperation to capture Latino votes in Florida.”
“Orlando area Democrat leaders have taken a detailed policy discussion and turned it into a personal attack. Perhaps they realized that they cannot win on the issues, so they have resorted to name calling and demagoguery,” said Brown-Waite.
She added: “My constituents overwhelmingly want a fiscally conservative economic growth package that makes the tax cuts permanent, cuts the corporate tax rate, currently the highest in the world, and includes a stimulus for our seniors and veterans. Anything else is a job half done.”