McCaskill Launches "Fighting for Fairness' Tour across Missouri

Press Release

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill will visit communities across the state this month to stand up for Missouri families that are sacrificing and struggling under rising gas prices, high living expenses, and a tax code that allows big oil companies and multi-millionaires to escape paying their fair share.

McCaskill's "Fighting for Fairness" tour will bring her to communities in St. Louis, Warrenton, Kansas City, Sedalia, Springfield, and Columbia to discuss specific action for a fairer tax code for working families, and a more level playing field for American manufacturers.

"We've got families in Missouri emptying their wallets to fill up the gas tank-along with a tax code that forces those same families to pay for huge tax giveaways to the very oil companies that are squeezing them with higher prices," McCaskill said. "We've got to stop rewarding oil companies and the richest of the rich, and stand up to Chinese competitors cheating the system for an unfair advantage over our businesses. Since I got to the Senate, I've fought for fairness for Missouri's working families, and that's still who I'm fighting for today-now, it's time for other members of Congress to decide whose side they're on."

McCaskill's statewide tour comes less than one week after the U.S. Senate held an unsuccessful vote aimed at ending the huge taxpayer giveaways afforded the most profitable oil companies in the world and redirecting that money to help pay down the national deficit and invest in new energy jobs. McCaskill-who has also consistently fought for increased domestic oil production and supports construction of the Keystone XL pipeline-strongly supported that legislation and spoke forcefully in favor of its passage on the Senate floor.

The Senate is now debating legislation to implement "The Buffett Rule"-the Pay A Fair Share Act would ensure that multi-millionaires such as Warren Buffet do not pay less in federal taxes, as a portion of income, than middle class families. Under the bill, the top earners-approximately 0.1 percent of taxpayers-would pay at least a 30 percent effective tax rate.

In her stops in communities across Missouri this month, McCaskill will address these efforts, as well as measures to crack down on unfair trade practices on the part of China and ensure that American manufacturers are competing on a level playing field.

Further details on McCaskill's stops will be available in the coming days.

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