WashPIRG supports selection of Sen. Patty Murray as co-chair of debt reduction “super committee”

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WashPIRG

“We’ve had recent discussion with a member of Sen. Murray’s staff and have been encouraged with her position on the issues for quite some time,” said Steve Breaux, public interest advocate at the Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG). “We’re very hopeful that Sen. Murray will use her position on the super-committee to ensure that any plan to reduce the deficit includes closing some tax loopholes and reducing subsidies that are costing American families billions of dollars a year.”

According to a recent report by WashPIRG, the United States loses approximately $100 billion in tax revenues every year due to corporations and individuals sending their money to offshore tax havens. In 2010, making up for this lost revenue cost the average U.S. tax filer $434. That’s enough money to feed a family of four for three weeks.

Meanwhile, Breaux points out that unnecessary subsidies to agribusiness cost America another $16 billion every year to promote the use of high-fructose-corn-syrup in junk food that is driving our national obesity epidemic – not to mention long-term health-care costs. WashPIRG is in the midst of its summer campaign to roll back agricultural subsidies.

“Balancing a budget requires that both sides of the ledger be examined,” Breaux concluded. “We’re hopeful that Sen. Murray will be able to guide the discussion towards increasing revenue by closing loopholes rather than further cuts that harm American families.”

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