AP
Schumer: Expand Those Helped by Stimulus
Monday January 21, 2:04 am ET
By Will Lester, Associated Press Writer
Sen. Charles Schumer Says Limiting Stimulus to Those Who Pay Income Tax Is Unfair

WASHINGTON (AP) — Any rebate included in an economic stimulus plan should include people who pay Social Security taxes, not just those who pay income taxes, a leading Democratic lawmaker said Sunday.

“If we did the rebate based on the payroll tax, it would hit a lot more people at a lower end of the spectrum. And so to just say income taxes are the only taxes we’re considering that people pay is unfair,” said Charles Schumer, the New York lawmaker who is chairman of the congressional Joint Economic Committee. People making $35,000 to $50,000 pay a lot of federal taxes, he said, but much of that is not income tax, but directed to programs like Social Security.

Democrats and the Bush administration say they want to reach a quick agreement so the economic stimulus can be applied quickly to the struggling economy. But any Democratic insistence on covering those who don’t pay income tax could be a cause of conflict.

Finance.Yahoo.Com - Click for Complete Story