Romney Campaign Press Release - Research Briefing: American Prosperity - The Romney Vision Vs. The Clinton Vision

"The differences between us and the Republicans are major. And I don't want anybody in America to be confused about that." – Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) (CNN, Democratic Presidential Debate, Manchester, NH, 6/3/07)

At Last Night's Democrat Presidential Debate, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Laid Out Her Vision For American Prosperity:

Sen. Clinton Promised She Would Do The "Hard Work" Of Increasing Taxes On The American People. "I think it's important to remember that six years ago, we had a balanced budget and a surplus. And we did that the old-fashioned way, by cutting spending and raising revenue. There is no free lunch. We're going to have to do that hard work again." (CNN, Democratic Presidential Debate, Manchester, NH, 6/3/07)

- Click Here To Watch Sen. Hillary Clinton At Last Night's Debate.

The Clinton Vision: Higher Taxes And Slower Economic Growth

In 2004, Sen. Clinton Said Democrats Would Roll Back Tax Cuts: "We're Going To Take Things Away From You On Behalf Of The Common Good." "'Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you,' Sen. [Hillary] Clinton said. 'We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.'" (Beth Fouhy, "San Francisco Rolls Out Red Carpet For The Clintons," The Associated Press, 6/28/04)

Sen. Clinton Will Take "A Hard Look At Corporate Tax Reform" To Require "Corporations To Pay Their Fair Share." "And let's take a hard look at corporate tax reform. It's simply not fair that as corporate profits have skyrocketed, the percentage of taxes paid by corporations have fallen. It's time we restored the balance and required corporations to pay their fair share. Under the law, after all, they are citizens of the United States, with many of the responsibilities, I would argue, that goes with citizenship." (Senator Hillary Clinton, Remarks At The Manchester School Of Technology, Manchester, NH, 5/29/07)

Sen. Clinton Says "The Right Government Policies" Are Required To Ensure "Fairness" In America. "'There is no greater force for economic growth than free markets. But markets work best with rules that promote our values, protect our workers and give all people a chance to succeed,' she said. 'Fairness doesn't just happen. It requires the right government policies.'" (Holly Ramer, "Presidential Hopeful Clinton Says Idea Of Shared Prosperity Should Replace 'On Your Own' Society," The Associated Press, 5/29/07)

The Romney Vision: Lowering Taxes On The American People And Pro-Growth Economic Policies

To Ensure America's Continued Economic Growth, Governor Romney Will Fight To Cut Taxes For All Americans. Lower taxes are a key to ensuring continued economic growth and job creation.

- Governor Romney Was The First 2008 Presidential Candidate To Sign The "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" Promising To Oppose Any Effort To Increase Taxes.

- Governor Romney Will Make The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent. Governor Romney believes that making the Bush Tax Cuts permanent is the first step to ensuring that Americans are able to keep more of their hard-earned money.

- Governor Romney Proposes Lower Tax Rates For All Americans. This approach is fair, simple and extends the pro-growth benefits of tax rate cuts to all Americans.

- Governor Romney Will Fight To Abolish The Death Tax. It is unfair to tax the American people three times: once when they earn it; second when they invest and receive income from those investments; and third when they die.

- Governor Romney Proposes A Savings Incentive Plan. Middle-class Americans will be able to save and earn interest, dividends and capital gains tax free. We need to end tax penalties on savings and investments for middle class families.

- Governor Romney Believes Our Corporate Tax Rate Must Be Competitive With The Rest Of The World. The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. We simply cannot afford for future economic growth to have a tax rate that is out of alignment with the other major economies of the world.

- Governor Romney Has A Record Of Fighting For Lower Taxes. As Governor of Massachusetts, he closed a $3 billion budget gap without raising taxes or borrowing more money. He turned a $250 million retroactive capital gains tax increase into a $250 million refund, made the investment tax credit permanent, passed sales tax holidays, gave property tax breaks to seniors, and in each of his last three years in office, submitted a budget that cut the income tax.