As families across North Carolina were wrapping up their Christmas shopping, Republicans in Washington were putting the finishing touches on a radical plan to pay for $100 billion in new tax cuts for wealthy investors and special interests, by slashing billions from programs that help ordinary Americans. U.S. Representatives Charles Taylor, Robin Hayes, Virginia Foxx, Patrick McHenry, and Howard Coble joined nearly every Republican in the House of Representatives in voting to slash $40 billion from crucial programs, including $12.7 billion from student loan programs, $6.9 billion from Medicaid, $6.4 billion from Medicare, and $2.7 from vital agricultural programs.

Making matters worse, Congressional Republicans failed to act on the one tax cut that could really benefit working families--legislation to keep 17 million Americans from having to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax.

All Democrats from North Carolina voted against the measure and are standing up for working North Carolinians: Reps. David Price, Mel Watt, Bob Etheridge, Mike McIntyre, Brad Miller, and G.K. Butterfield. Republican Reps. Sue Myrick and Walter Jones missed the vote.

When the bill was before the U.S. Senate Wednesday, Sens. Dole and Burr voted with the Grinches as well.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek issued the following statement on these Republicans and their misplaced priorities:

"The N.C. Republicans in Congress and their colleagues have struck again. Instead of fighting to help ordinary Americans make ends meet, they have pushed through $100 billion in new tax cuts for wealthy investors and greedy special interests, paid for in part by cuts to programs that benefit North Carolinians. Senators Dole and Burr and Representatives Taylor, Hayes, Foxx, McHenry, and Coble, and their fellow Republicans in Washington, couldn't even find the time to keep 17 million ordinary Americans from having to pay the Alternative Minimum tax. North Carolinians deserve better. This Christmas, N.C. Republicans should give North Carolinians the best gift possible: leadership that represents their interests in Congress, not the special interests."