{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-supports-buffett-rule-amendment", "Senator Baldwin Supports Buffett Rule Amendment to Tax Proposal", "2017-11-30", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.30.17\n\t\t\t Senator Baldwin Supports Buffett Rule Amendment to Tax Proposal \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Amendment would help ensure wealthy pay fair share in taxes\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin cosponsored the amendment introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to the Senate Republicans\u2019 tax proposal that would institute the Buffett Rule to prevent America\u2019s top earners from paying lower tax rates than middle-class families.\u00a0 The amendment, based on Whitehouse\u2019s\u00a0Paying a Fair Share Act, would ensure that multi-million-dollar earners pay at least a 30 percent effective federal tax rate.\u00a0\r\n\u201cFor far too long, our tax code has unfairly favored the wealthiest Americans. We need to make sure millionaires and billionaires at the top are paying their fair share so we can cut taxes for the working class and small businesses, and rebuild our middle class,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Senator Baldwin.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m proud to once again join Senator Whitehouse to make the \u2018Buffett Rule\u2019 a reality.\u00a0This amendment will ensure that our path forward is guided by fairness and a respect for hard working middle class families.\u201d\r\n\u201cRhode Island nurses and teachers shouldn\u2019t have to pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires,\u201d said Whitehouse, who first introduced the Paying a Fair Share Act in 2012 and reintroduced it in April.\u00a0 \u201cThis amendment would help to make sure that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share.\u00a0 If Republicans really wanted to make our tax system work for the middle class, they\u2019ll pass this amendment.\u201d\r\nIn 2014, the highest-earning 400 Americans \u2013 making an average of $317 million each \u2013 paid an average effective federal tax rate of just 23 percent, far short of the top marginal rate of 40 percent.\u00a0\r\nThe \u201cBuffett Rule\u201d is named after Warren Buffett, the legendary investor who has famously lamented that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.\u00a0 Former President Barack Obama proposed adding the Buffett Rule to the tax code to ensure that those at the top pay at least the tax rate paid by middle-class families.\r\nSenators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ) also cosponsored the amendment.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-supports-buffett-rule-amendment"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.11510481312871, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}