---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Americans are falling out of the middle…"
description: "\"Americans are falling out of the middle class, not into it. And they deserve relief. I absolute support extending the Bush tax cuts for those who work ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/paul-tonko-34019_absolute_americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle_920956.jpg"
---

#  Americans are falling out of the middle class, not into…

![“Americans are falling out of the middle class, not into it. And they deserve relief. I absolute support extending the Bush tax cuts for those who work the hardest and invest the most in our economy - the real drivers of American growth, the middle class.” quote by Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/paul-tonko-34019_absolute_americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle_920956.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/paul-tonko-34019_absolute_americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle_920956.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/paul-tonko-34019_absolute_americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle_920956.jpg)

> “Americans are falling out of the middle class, not into it. And they deserve relief. I absolute support extending the Bush tax cuts for those who work the hardest and invest the most in our economy - the real drivers of American growth, the middle class.”

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The middle class is shrinking while the wealthy benefit; relief should target those who drive economic growth.

**In simple terms:** Middle class shrinking, relief needed for hard‑working drivers of growth.

Key Takeaway

Support tax cuts for productive workers.

Themes

economy tax policy middle class growth

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

political policy

When to use this quote

- policy debate
- legislative lobbying
- public opinion
- economic analysis

Key Concepts

Fiscal policy income distribution

Questions to Reflect On

- Who truly benefits from tax cuts?
- How can policy protect the middle class?

A Different Perspective

Tax cuts may widen inequality if not carefully targeted.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relief/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax/) [Tax cuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-cuts/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [It's really changed me. For the first time I'm in favor of the Bush tax cuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/it-s-really-changed-me-for-the-first-time-i-m-in-favor-of-the-bush/)

[Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/)

> [There are a lot of things you can say about the Bush tax cuts, but you can't say they didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-gramm/there-are-a-lot-of-things-you-can-say-about-the-bush-tax-cuts-but-you/)

[Phil Gramm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-gramm/)

> [My healthcare plan puts more money into average families' pockets than the Bush tax cuts... He's got a lousy tax cut. It's only good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/my-healthcare-plan-puts-more-money-into-average-families-pockets-than/)

[Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/)

> [I have continuously said that, at the very minimum, the Bush tax cuts for income under $250,000 should be extended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-have-continuously-said-that-at-the-very-minimum-the-bush-tax-cuts/)

[Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/)

> [The president is 100 percent for extending the tax cuts for 98.7 percent of small businesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austan-goolsbee/the-president-is-100-percent-for-extending-the-tax-cuts-for-98-7/)

[Austan Goolsbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austan-goolsbee/)

> [President Obama has repeatedly urged Congress to let the Bush tax cuts expire for those earning more than $250,000 a year. Increasing rates on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-romer/president-obama-has-repeatedly-urged-congress-to-let-the-bush-tax/)

[Christina Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-romer/)

> [We did the two-year extension of Bush tax cuts in 2010. We negotiated the Budget Control Act in August of 2011 and the fiscal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/we-did-the-two-year-extension-of-bush-tax-cuts-in-2010-we-negotiated/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [Dozens of America's wealthiest taxpayers - including hedge fund legend Michael Steinhardt, super trial lawyer Guy Saperstein, and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-conason/dozens-of-america-s-wealthiest-taxpayers-including-hedge-fund-legend/)

[Joe Conason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-conason/)

> [I think the Bush tax cuts should be made permanent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vito-fossella/i-think-the-bush-tax-cuts-should-be-made-permanent/)

[Vito Fossella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vito-fossella/)

> [The Bush tax cuts should be extended permanently for families with annual incomes of less than $250,000 and should be phased out slowly for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zandi/the-bush-tax-cuts-should-be-extended-permanently-for-families-with/)

[Mark Zandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zandi/)

> [Joe Biden says the Wall Street crisis is the result of George W. Bush's tax cuts, which makes as much sense as blaming the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/joe-biden-says-the-wall-street-crisis-is-the-result-of-george-w-bush/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [It was absolutely critical to renew the Bush tax cuts. Letting them expire would result in a massive tax increase that would retard economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/it-was-absolutely-critical-to-renew-the-bush-tax-cuts-letting-them/)

[Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/)

> [There are a lot of misconceptions regarding the Bush tax cuts, all of them deliberately propagated by none other than President Obama and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/there-are-a-lot-of-misconceptions-regarding-the-bush-tax-cuts-all-of/)

[Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/)

> [ I think that \[Barack Obama\] does say something that's - that is telling on that score, when he talks about the \[George W.\] Bush… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/i-think-that-barack-obama-does-say-something-that-s-that-is-telling/)

[Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/)

> [The middle class will pay less and people making $1 million or more will begin to contribute slightly more. Let me give you one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-middle-class-will-pay-less-and-people-making-1-million-or-more/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

## More by Paul Tonko

> [As the U.S. did during the Space Race, we must invest in our businesses and intellect to ensure America leads the clean energy economy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/as-the-u-s-did-during-the-space-race-we-must-invest-in-our-businesses/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [Surely there are common-sense reforms that we should, and must, take in order to keep our children and our communities safe. I take these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/surely-there-are-common-sense-reforms-that-we-should-and-must-take-in/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [Plain and simple, Congress must act to meet the needs of our constituents. We can do that by strengthening families, increasing the minimum wage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/plain-and-simple-congress-must-act-to-meet-the-needs-of-our/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [Let's restore sanity and fairness to the tax cut conversation. We simply cannot afford to hand over the bank vault to our nation's millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/let-s-restore-sanity-and-fairness-to-the-tax-cut-conversation-we/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [As Americans, we have traditionally been the optimists sporting the 'can-do' attitude. But when it comes to addressing climate adaptation and resiliency, we seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/as-americans-we-have-traditionally-been-the-optimists-sporting-the/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [When women succeed, America succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/when-women-succeed-america-succeeds/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [When a part of our nation gets knocked down, we come together to help pick it up again. No questions asked. That's the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/when-a-part-of-our-nation-gets-knocked-down-we-come-together-to-help/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [Many climate change deniers would have you believe that addressing climate change is all pain and no gain. This is simply not true. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/many-climate-change-deniers-would-have-you-believe-that-addressing/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [Government spending clearly needs some adjusting. But a budget is a statement of our priorities, and balancing our spending on the backs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/government-spending-clearly-needs-some-adjusting-but-a-budget-is-a/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [Taxpayer dollars should not be used as a reward for contractor executives, especially when other segments of society are hurting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/taxpayer-dollars-should-not-be-used-as-a-reward-for-contractor/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [We cannot get serious about helping the private sector create quality jobs without focusing first on the main drivers of our economy - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/we-cannot-get-serious-about-helping-the-private-sector-create-quality/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [We must reign in overspending by ridding government of outmoded programs, making Big Oil pay their fair share, repealing massive tax breaks for corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/we-must-reign-in-overspending-by-ridding-government-of-outmoded/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

> [On Medicare, I would suggest ridding the system of fraud and bulk purchasing of prescription drugs, to begin with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/on-medicare-i-would-suggest-ridding-the-system-of-fraud-and-bulk/)

[Paul Tonko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

[Explore all 14 Paul Tonko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/)

## More Absolute quotes

> [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [Absolute is a game with only one player where Absolute forgets itself so it would have a reason to fulfill the motion while returning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/absolute-is-a-game-with-only-one-player-where-absolute-forgets-itself/)

[Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/)

> [“The necessity of nothingness does not create anything. The real value and meaning of the Being are not in its necessity but in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/the-necessity-of-nothingness-does-not-create-anything-the-real-value/)

[Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/)

> [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [I can like something. You can like something. It's not an absolute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/i-can-like-something-you-can-like-something-it-s-not-an-absolute/)

[will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/)

> [Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/nothing-is-absolute-everything-changes-everything-moves-everything/)

[Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/)

> [I - it's simply not for me to evaluate an independent rating agency's processes. But I will say that there was reason to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-carney/i-it-s-simply-not-for-me-to-evaluate-an-independent-rating-agency-s/)

[Jay Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-carney/)

> [Absolute morality is the regulation of conduct in such a way that pain shall not be inflicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/absolute-morality-is-the-regulation-of-conduct-in-such-a-way-that/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [What is liberty? There is no such thing as absolute liberty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/what-is-liberty-there-is-no-such-thing-as-absolute-liberty/)

[Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/)

> [Doing the right thing at all costs is an absolute, and only a sith deals in absolutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-filoni/doing-the-right-thing-at-all-costs-is-an-absolute-and-only-a-sith/)

[Dave Filoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-filoni/)

> [“Energy is the world-born phenomenon, the world that puts itself in motion and flies into space by receiving space into itself. From this point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/energy-is-the-world-born-phenomenon-the-world-that-puts-itself-in/)

[Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/)

> [“As we see it, space is possible only when the primordial Being swallows emptiness. Space is born when the Being accepts emptiness, the Nonbeing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/as-we-see-it-space-is-possible-only-when-the-primordial-being/)

[Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/)

> [Absolute faith can blind you to the consequences of the actions you allow. It can tell you it's okay to drop bombs on another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-denton/absolute-faith-can-blind-you-to-the-consequences-of-the-actions-you/)

[Andrew Denton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-denton/)

> [“Zero is a gateway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/zero-is-a-gateway/)

[Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/)

> [Absolute perfection is here and now, not in some future, near or far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/absolute-perfection-is-here-and-now-not-in-some-future-near-or-far/)

[Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/)

Browse all 631 Absolute quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Americans are falling out of the middle class, not into it. And they deserve relief. I absolute support extending the Bush tax cuts for those who work the hardest and invest the most in our economy - the real drivers of American growth, the middle class.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Tonko"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle-class-not-into-it-and-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Absolute"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle-class-not-into-it-and-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/paul-tonko-34019_absolute_americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle_920956.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/paul-tonko-34019_absolute_americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle_920956.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/paul-tonko-34019_absolute_americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle_920956.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Americans are falling out of the middle class, not into it. And they deserve relief. I absolute support…” — Paul Tonko",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Paul Tonko",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tonko/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Americans are falling out of the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle-class-not-into-it-and-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tonko/americans-are-falling-out-of-the-middle-class-not-into-it-and-they/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```