Don’t worry, Americans. The federal government isn’t really broke, according to Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).
The Minnesota Democrat was speaking to a group of fellow liberals at the Progressive Democrats of America roundtable on July 25 when he announced that the government isn’t as bad off as it might seem.
“The bottom line is we’re not broke, there’s plenty of money, it’s just the government doesn’t have it,” Ellison said.
“The government has a right — the government and the people of the United States have a right to run the programs of the United States. Health, welfare, housing — all these things,” he added.
Ellison was pushing his Inclusive Prosperity Act, which would “impose a tax on certain trading transactions to strengthen our financial security, reduce market volatility, expand opportunity, and stop shrinking the middle class,” according to the text of the bill. He pointed out at the July gathering that many financial experts and businessmen support the proposed legislation.
“People like, George Soros, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Paul Krugman, Joe Stiglitz, Jeffrey Sax, Dean Baker, Robert Poland, Larry Summers have said they all support a transaction tax,” Ellison said.
He also took shots at Republicans, saying they don’t like the transaction tax because “they don’t want the government to have any money, because if the government has money, the government might help an American.”
The Inclusive Prosperity Act has 17 cosponsors, including Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Donna Edwards (D-Md.), Jim McDermott (D-Wa.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).
Watch Ellison’s remarks below:
(h/t CNS News)
