Connolly, other Democrats to vote against letting Bush-era tax cuts expire

Prince William County, Va. - Rep. Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly, D-11th, and a handful of other Democrats have broken with their party to oppose letting the Bush tax cuts expire.

Connolly said the economy isn't stable enough yet.

"My reasons are fairly straight forward. I think we're at a very fragile point in the economic recovery. It's not as robust as we need it to be, and that means that timing is very important," Connolly said. "Allowing the tax cuts to expire on any income group right now, I think, would be counter productive and could do damage to a fragile economy."

Connolly said allowing tax breaks for those on the upper end of the income scale to expire could shave a half of a percentage point off economic growth.

"Economic growth is only 2½ percent, so that means it's only going to be 2 percent," Connolly said.

He said that according to Moody's, a credit reporting company, the top 5 percent of the income bracket accounts for 30 percent of consumer spending in the U.S.

It wouldn't do to penalize that segment of the population, Connolly said.

"They're going to be closing their wallets, shutting their checkbooks and they're going to be restrained in their purchasing at the very moment we actually need them to expand those activities and to show confidence in the economy," Connolly said.

He expected some heat from other Democrats in the House of Representatives, Connelly said, but now was not the time to raise taxes.

"Timing and impact concern me greatly, and I just think my fellow Democrats should move past their ideology -- just as Republicans should have moved past their ideology on unemployment insurance extension -- for the sake of the economy," he said. "I'm sure it won't be popular with my leadership or my colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle, but I didn't get elected to make them happy. I got elected to represent the interests of my constituency."

Other Democrats who oppose letting the tax cuts expire include Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Rep. Michael McMahon, D- N.Y., according to the Wall Street Journal.

Connolly said he wouldn't be perpetually opposed to letting the tax cuts expire.

"I'm not saying 'Not ever,' I'm saying 'Not now,'" he said.

Senior Reporter Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.