Americans everywhere are sharing their story and speaking out about what a $2,000 tax hike would mean to them.
"$2000 means so much to me - it will help cover medical expenses from a recent surgery, will allow me to fill up my gas tank so I can get to/from work and help my fiancé and I to pay for our upcoming wedding."
Elizabeth, NJ
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"2,000 means yearly maintenance on my car."
Charles, CT
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"@whitehouse #My2k Being able to know I will have a roof over my head and comfort in keeping the lights on."
@cajungal78 Twitter
"It means being able to attend graduate school as it goes toward my tuition bills. It means law school for my brother and health benefits while we are at school. The money goes towards these things, and also to home improvements after a recent house fire, and basic things like rent, heat and food. It does not fully fund but goes toward all these things which are so important to so many of us and our families."
Marissa, DC
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"My family is about as 'middle' as you can get. My husband is a police officer and I work in a childcare center; we've both worked all our adult lives. We have three children — an adult daughter, a son in the US Army, and son in high school — as well as a granddaughter who lives with us. This year for Christmas, instead of exchanging gifts, we are traveling to visit my 78-year-old parents on the other side of the country. If we had $2,000 less in our pockets, the trip would be impossible — total for airfare is $2100."
Susan, NJ
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"It means my parents can buy the medication they need. My Mom can pay for the care to help my father who has Alzheimer's. It means my cousins can save for their children's future education. It means I can save to pay for my own health problems."
Christopher, WA
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"I am a retired high school math teacher who loved my job but never made a grand fortune of money. In our retirement, we are helping both of our daughters, with the little extra we have through our pensions, even though both girls are college-educated and are working two and three jobs in the economy left by the Bush years!! So that extra $2,000 would not only hit us hard, but would painfully ripple down to our two daughters as well."
Florence, VA
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We are a family of 5 with 3 teenagers and are desperately trying to save money for college. Unfortunately, we're not getting very far because our mortgage is taking up such a huge chunk of our income. We're underwater with our mortgage, having lost about 100K in value in the recession like a lot of people. We have tried to refinance, but we don't qualify under the new programs passed. We're trying to hang on, but in order to pay for college, we will likely need to foreclose or do a short sale. A hell of a choice, eh?"
Tamra, VA
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$2,000 for my family means helping my daughter who is a single Mom buy diapers, milk, clothes and help with the day care tuition for my grandson. If you take that away, she could be force to go back on public assistance, which means we will still be putting the country into more debt."
Mary, DC
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"It means a pantry full of groceries; a tank full of gas in the car; new shoes and clothes for my son who's outgrowing them so quickly; and peace of mind for me and my wife."
Charles, MI
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"My husband and I are retired on a fixed income and have our 401K invested. 2000 would mean a lot to us since emergencies are taken from our retirement fund. No more stalling, for once Congress should do their duty to our country."
Diane, TX
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"Well, as a single mom of two with no support from their father..... It means food,shelter,and special needs for my kids."
Sherry, FL
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"Right now $2,000 means that I can afford to pay for the lunch that my four children take to school every day. I am already facing a decision of not going back to school because I am not able to afford to pay. Thank you for not raising our taxes."
Karen, VA
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"I am 72 and still working part time—having to pay higher taxes would mean no extras....I was a single Mom with 3 sons and I always hoped that I would have some things when I got older that I could not have when I was needing to watch every penny. That sounds selfish but I think there are many older people like me who deserve not to have to worry or cut out everything enjoyable. I hope you can help us all."
Nancy, CO
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"If my taxes go up by $2000, I will default on my student loans, give up my car, and move back with my parents with my husband. #My2k"
@MelissaFye Twitter
"As a smallbizowner, #My2k will help pay for my family's medical expenses next year and give me more opps to grow my biz."
@kabettenhausen Twitter
"My wife and I could not afford to visit our granddaughter. We would not be able to give money to the local food shelter. Finally, we would have to dip into our savings to continue to eat in a healthy way."
Jon, CA
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"We finally are in a position to own our own home. It's a very modest dwelling, but it's ours. Every year, we must come up with about $2,000 to pay our property taxes. We want to be able to pay them and keep our home; our piece of the 'American Dream.' ... Please protect the dream for so many working class Americans ... Let's get our priorities straight in this country and do what's right for the greatest majority of our people!"
Shawnee, WA
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"20 weeks of groceries. Or, my annual auto insurance + property tax (on a mobile home) + auto registration + homeowners insurance (on a mobile home) including flood and earthquake coverage."
Deborah Facebook
"2,000 means having money to help my niece and nephew - one is putting herself through college and the other is entering a maritime academy. Students need our help!"
Claire, TX
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"Almost 4 months of rent! Or 2 months of total expenses! This more than one month of my take home pay! The republicans want me to pay more taxes but spend less to help the economy!"
Jewell Facebook
"$2000 dollars is the difference between eating and starving. Its also the difference between having a running car or not. We barely make it from check to check as it is."
Aaron, TX
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"It means the difference between paying my healthcare premiums or not. In other words it means a lot to my well being."
Laura Facebook
"It would mean that i wouldnt be able to help my daughter out as much with daycare for my grandaughter (500.00/mo) and would need to watch her myself at home (i run a home-based business for 23 years) My daughter makes around 1200.00/month as a hair stylist and is also going to college FT. She cannot afford daycare. Not extending the tax cuts on people making 250,000 or less would hurt every single person that I know. The wealth survived during the Bush era I think they will figure it out again!"
Tracy, OH
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"Two thousand dollars means I can put my kids into theater, art and music classes that they can't get through public schools anymore. #My2k"
@Adrian_G_Drake Twitter
"I believe in education and helping our children to be more competitive. $2,000 less in my paycheck means the cost of repaying my daughter's college loan will take me twice as long to pay off. Don't penalize the middle class for trying to help the next generation."
Lisa, DE
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"It means that we will be able to pay our escalating property taxes, college tuition payments, and fuel bills to heat our house and get to work."
Scott, CT
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"#My2k is keeping this house and keeping it warm for my growing family this winter"
@SensingPlace Twitter
On Jan. 2, President Obama signed bipartisan legislation preventing a tax increase on millions of middle-class families. In the weeks before, hundreds of thousands of people shared what losing $2,000 would mean for them.
"Being a father of 2 supporting a middle class family, $2000 is a huge amount of money. It would help pay for our children's medical bills and help to build a savings for their future. We really need to stop raising taxes on the 'middle class' and make tax brackets fair, by making everyone contribute their fair share."
Christopher, TN
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"For now, our most immediate priority is to stop taxes going up for middle-class families, starting tomorrow."
"Refinanced home 4 sons tuition, with higher payment a $2000 tax increase…would be a hardship"
@bademus Twitter
"It means my ability to buy books for school and pay for law school tuition."
Samantha, OH
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"If our income decreased by $2000/yr, we would probably be unable to meet our monthly obligations. My husband and I are both drawing Social Security...he is 71 and in poor health, I am 68 and still working because otherwise, we would not have enough income to live on…We are just barely making it each month…"
Nita, KY
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DID YOU KNOW?
President Obama called on Congress to stop taxes from going up in 2013 for 98 percent of American families and 97 percent of small businesses.
"#My2k is part of the house I'm saving up for with my husband, and the new car I need before my clunker finally bites it…"
@grrleigh Twitter
"I'm a small business owner and college grad facing a ton of debt. That money means breathing room for my budget."
@RickyStevenYoun Twitter
"It means being able to afford the necessities of life - my rent, food, clothing, and the occasional trip home to see family. It means that my parents, who are retired, don't have to worry about if they'll have enough."
Angela, MA
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"We really need to get this right. I can only do it with the help of the American people. So, tweet — what was that again — 'My2K' — tweet using the hashtag 'My2K'"
"$2K is about what our family pays for therapy copays for our special needs children. #My2k"
@danprim19 Twitter
DID YOU KNOW?
As promised, President Obama signed bipartisan legislation that will make sure income tax rates for middle class families will stay low permanently.
"#My2k means xtra $ for my kids' school trips, books and transportation to work."
@Exec_Asst Twitter
"With 2 young adults in college, $2,000 is not small change but the difference in having money to pay the mortgage, college tuition, books. Middle class families cannot be held hostage by partisan politics, obstruction in Washington. We voted on 11/6 and chose the leaders expected to move the U.S.A. forward."
Ruby, PA
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"if there’s one thing that I’ve learned, when the American people speak loudly enough, lo and behold, Congress listens."
"It could be the difference in sustaining our family small business from one month to the next."
Stephen, FL
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"I do not have a family of my own, but as a young person I could use that $2000 to help start my small company."
Chase, AR
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"#My2k goes to prescriptions, mortgage, and other necessities. It's not discretionary income…"
@swellgalmary Twitter
"Though I no longer have a family to worry about, I am concerned about families that are struggling to make ends meet. I think an additional $2,000 will help them and help boost the economy."
Marian, RI
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"#My2k it means food on table, co-pays at the Drs office, gas in the car & our kids extra activities…"
@PaigieGrl Twitter
DID YOU KNOW?
If Congress had failed to act before the end of 2012, every American family’s taxes would have automatically went up in 2013.
"Groceries on my table for four months. Heating my home for a year. Two mortgage payments. Any of those, or Christmas gifts for my family, or a contribution to my 401K."
Anne, PA
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"And a lot is riding on this debate. This is too important to our economy, it’s too important for our families to not get it done."
"#My2k We are two public school teachers trying to put two boys through college. It's already difficult, don't make it harder!"
@lisabella964 Twitter
"…oil delivery, electric bill payments, gas for my car just to name a few life's must haves."
Lynn Facebook
"$2000 is a lot of money! The only wiggle room I have in our budget is for food. We prepare all of our meals at home, but feeding a family of four is expensive. Paying an extra $2,000 means $50 less a week for food."
Cynthia, WA
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DID YOU KNOW?
Consumers could have spent nearly $200 billion less than they otherwise would have this year just because of higher taxes, slowing our nation’s economic growth.
"Let’s give families all across America the kind of security and certainty that they deserve during the holiday season. Let’s keep our economy on the right track."
"#My2k means I will be able to have the funds to help cover costs for my unemployed brother and 3 kids."
@milovany Twitter
"#My2k helps pay off my used truck, get gas for it. Heat my home. Feed my children, and give them the best education I can afford"
@DanielFaidley Twitter
"The sooner Congress gets this done, the sooner our economy will get a boost. And it would then give us in Washington more time to work together on that long-range plan to bring down deficits in a balanced way"
"#My2k means I can continue to pay my kids' student loans so they don't have to start out in a hole."
@Randy_Nowell Twitter
DID YOU KNOW?
In the 24 hours after President Obama asked Americans to speak out about what a $2,000 tax hike would mean to them, 56,000+ people shared their story on wh.gov.
"#My2k means that I can pay rent, pay my electricity, put gas in my car, buy clothes for my kids & feed my kids."
@kdeeley757 Twitter
"Loss of #My2k means I can't afford aftercare for my daughter, I then have to cut my hours at work and make less money. #My2K is more than just 2K"
@mscoritodd Twitter
"If Congress does nothing, every family will see their income taxes automatically go up at the beginning of next year. … We can’t let that happen."
"#My2k means a fundamental difference in the way you make choices. We should not be held hostage by the top %."
@IamMosley14 Twitter
"#My2k is one mortgage payment, a month of grocery's, a car payment, one electric bill and a tank of gas."
@SarahLechowich Twitter
"$2000 is the difference between making our family business work, by purchasing much needed equipment, or going under because we can't afford the equipment."
Lauren
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"It's 13 weeks of groceries in my household."
Martha
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DID YOU KNOW?
In the 24 hours after President Obama asked Americans to share what a $2,000 tax hike would mean to them, more than 140,000 people spoke out on Twitter using
"You and your family have a lot riding on the outcome of this debate. We all do. And as citizens, we all have a say in the country we want to build… So make your voice heard."
"#My2k means peace of mind…for our government to work together and get us on the right path."
@ronrichardrmj Twitter
#My2k