Clinton & The AMT (Version VII)

Yesterday, Senator Clinton said she voted to fix the AMT. Outside of that being an outright falsehood, she has yet to explain how she will reform the AMT as promised. At this stage in the campaign if Hillary Clinton’s team hasn’t learned that not being honest and upfront is damaging, they will probably never figure it out. -- Danny Diaz


SEN. CLINTON CLAIMS SHE HAS VOTED TO FIX THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX, BUT HER RECORD PROVES OTHERWISE

Sen. Clinton Claims She Has Voted “Continually…To Fix The AMT”:

Sen. Clinton: “I have voted continually over several years to try to fix the AMT.” (CNBC’s “Fast Money,” 12/11/07)

But Sen. Clinton Has Repeatedly Voted Against Providing Americans With AMT Relief:

Sen. Clinton Has Voted At Least 8 Times Against Legislation To Reduce The Number Of Taxpayers Unfairly Hit By The Alternative Minimum Tax. (H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #165: Passed 62-38: R 50-0; D 12-38, 5/23/01, Clinton Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #170: Adopted 58-33: R 46-2; D 12-31, 5/26/01, Clinton Voted Nay; H.R. 622: CQ Vote #14: Motion Rejected 48-47: R 43-2; D 5-45, 2/6/02, Clinton Voted Nay; H.R. 2, CQ Vote #179: Passed 51-49: R 48-3; D 3-45; I 0-1, 5/15/03, Clinton Voted Nay; H.R. 2, CQ Vote #196: Adopted 51-50: R 48-3; D 2-46; I 0-1, With Vice President Cheney Casting A “Yea” Vote, 5/23/03, Clinton Voted Nay; H.R. 4297, CQ Vote #16: Motion Agreed To 53-47: R 51-4; D 2-42; I 0-1, 2/14/06, Clinton Voted Nay; H.R. 4297, CQ Vote #118: Adopted 54-44: R 51-3; D 3-40; I 0-1, 5/11/06, Clinton Voted Nay; S. Con. Res. 21: CQ Vote #100: Rejected: 46-53; R 46-3; D 0-48; I 0-2, 3/23/07; Clinton Voted Nay)

Sen. Clinton Voted Against An Amendment To The FY08 Budget Resolution To Repeal The Alternative Minimum Tax. (S. Con. Res. 21: Amdt. No. 471, CQ Vote #108: Rejected: 44-53; R 44-3; D 0-48; I 0-2, 3/23/07; Clinton Voted Nay)

FLASHBACK: In 1999, President Clinton Vetoed Legislation That Would Have Repealed The Alternative Minimum Tax By Dec. 31, 2007. (H.R. 2488, Vetoed 9/23/99)

Sen. Clinton Also Voted Against An Amendment To The FY08 Budget Resolution To Repeal The 1993 Alternative Minimum Tax Rate Increase Signed Into Law By President Clinton. (S. Con. Res. 21: Amdt. No. 606, CQ Vote #113: Rejected: 49-50; R 48-1; D 1-47; I 0-2, 3/23/07; Clinton Voted Nay)

Sen. Clinton Said She Would Reform The AMT, Then Deferred, Then Failed To Provide A Plan, Then Failed To Vote:

Sen. Clinton Claimed She Would Reform The AMT “To Make Sure It Doesn’t Hit Middle Class Families.” Hillary: “[I] will reform something called the Alternative Minimum Tax, the AMT, to make sure it doesn't hit middle class families with higher tax rates. It was never intended to do that.” (Sen. Hillary Clinton, Remarks On “Rebuilding The Middle Class: Hillary Clinton's Economic Blueprint For The 21st Century,” Cedar Rapids, IA, 10/8/07)

But Said She Would Delegate AMT Reform To Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY). “She also said she would defer to Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, on fixing the alternative minimum tax. … ‘I know that we have to do it,’ she said, ‘...but I'm not going to dictate how it should be done because there's a lot of horse-trading going on here.’” (Jackie Calmes, “Clinton Turns To Economic Issues,” The Wall Street Journal, 10/9/07)

Sen. Clinton Then Refused To Support Rangel’s Plan. NBC’s Tim Russert: “But you will not campaign on the Rangel plan?” Hillary: “No, no. That's Charlie Rangel's plan.” (Sen. Hillary Clinton, MSNBC Democrat Presidential Debate, Philadelphia, PA, 10/30/07)

A Clinton Spokesman Said She Would Work To Enact Reform, “But Declined To Provide Specifics.” “[Clinton] spokesman Isaac Baker said that as president, ‘she would work to enact long-term AMT reform’ but declined to provide specifics.” (Todd Gillman, “Tax Bomb Keeps Ticking Even As AMT Barges Into Middle Class, Few Candidates Discuss It,” The Dallas Morning News, 11/20/07)
Sen. Clinton Missed The Vote To Advance Consideration Of Rep. Charles Rangel’s Bill, Which Provided AMT Relief While Simultaneously Raising “Taxes On Small Business And Entrepreneurs By $81 Billion.” (H.R. 3996, CQ Vote #414: Motion Rejected 46 - 48: R 0 - 47; D 44 - 1; I 2 – 0, 12/6/07, Clinton Did Not Vote)

“[H].R. 3996 … Raises Taxes On Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs By $81 Billion, In Order To Recover The Revenue That Is ‘Lost’ By Not Mistakenly Ensnaring Millions Of Americans In The AMT.” (David Freddoso, “Democrats’ ATM, The AMT,” National Review, 11/16/07)

Sen. Clinton Missed The Vote On An Amended AMT Bill That Included No Tax Increases, And “That Would Provide A One-Year Adjustment To Exempt An Additional 21 Million Taxpayers From Paying The Alternative Minimum Tax On Income From 2007.” (H.R. 3996, CQ Vote #415: Passed 88 - 5: R 46 - 0; D 40 - 5; I 2 – 0, 12/6/07, Clinton Did Not Vote)

Danny Diaz
Republican National Committee (RNC)