Disappointed by inaction of Congress, Santa returned to Capitol Hill with load of coal for intransigent members

WASHINGTON – A week after coming to Washington to plead with Representative Paul Ryan and Speaker John Boehner to save Christmas by passing tax relief for the middle class, Santa is back and he’s not happy.

With Congress deadlocked over passing tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans, Santa Claus returned to Capitol Hill to deliver 120 pounds of coal to the naughty congressmen and congresswomen who refused to save Christmas. By failing to come to agreement on saving middle class families more than $2,000 in tax hikes, Congressional leadership is seemingly prepared to allow the US economy to go over the so-called “fiscal cliff.”

“It makes me very sad to deliver this coal to Congress, but their inaction is inexcusable,” said Santa. “Christmas should be a time of peace and hope. Instead, Congress is telling families that the best they can do is deliver more uncertainty and higher taxes. That’s beyond naughty; it’s flat wrong.”

Speaker Boehner Thursday night failed to move his conservative conference to pass tax relief for millions of American families. He adjourned the House until after the Christmas holiday, leaving less than a week until taxes increase for every taxpayer and mandatory sequestration cuts come into effect.

“This is not the Christmas surprise anyone wanted,” said James Salt, executive director of Catholics United. “By allowing another week to pass with no meaningful deal being reached to preserve tax relief for struggling families, the House leadership has yet again proven they value ideology over the country’s economic security. Congress needs to act now, but there’s little hope of that at this point.”

Founded in 2004, Catholics United, and its educational arm, Catholics United Education Fund, are non-profit, non-partisan organizations dedicated to promoting the message of justice and the common good found at the heart of the Catholic Social Tradition. For more information about Catholics United, “like” us on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CatholicsUnited), follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/CatholicsUnited) or on our blog at www.OurDailyThread.org.

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