By . David Martosko In Washington . PUBLISHED: . 12:20 EST, 29 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:24 EST, 29 April 2013 . Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Illinois, said she wants to raise the income tax rates paid by America's top earners to between 45 and 49 per cent, largely to justify more government spending. 'We need increased revenue,' she said in a statement, 'to eliminate the sequester, fund investments in education, public safety, and infrastructure and provide support for Americans striving to reach the middle class.' U.s. Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky wants top earners to pay more - a lot more - to the government at tax time, and justifies it with calls for revenue that would enable more spending . Billionaire Warren Buffett has said he would welcome a requirement to pay more in income tax. Obama has called for a 30 per cent 'Buffett Rule' tax plan. Schakowsky's would put rates far higher . Schakowsky said her Fairness in Taxation Act, introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday, would put more money in the hands of the poor and the middle class. 'Our country faces an inequality crisis,' she insisted. America's top marginal tax rate sits at 39.6 per cent, a rate that's paid on income earned over $400,000 for single filers and above $450,000 for married earners who file tax returns jointly with their spouses. Schakowsky would add five new tax brackets, starting with a 45 per cent rate for income between $1 million and $10 million, and ending with 49 per cent for earnings after a taxpayer's first $1 billion in any tax year. That stratospheric top rate would only affect a handful of Americans, mostly those in the financial sector and many successful business entrepreneurs. Conservative push-back: Sen. Tom Coburn (L) isn't impressed with Jan Schakowsky's plan to hike tax rates for business leaders and entrepreneurs who earn more than $1 million, but the IRS would reap a windfall . While a Republican House majority makes it extremely unlikely that Schakowsky's bill would receive serious consideration - much less a vote - Senate Republicans also slammed the idea. 'Instead of raising rates on anyone we should lower rates for everyone by getting rid of special interest subsidies in the tax code, said John Hart, Communications Director for Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican. Hart also pointed out Schakowsky's legislation doesn't balance a tax increase on the rich with tax cuts for lower-income earners. Those Americans, he said, are already frozen out of the behind-the-scenes lobbying efforts mounted by large corporations, effectively freezing them out of any chance to see their taxes lowered. 'Tax earmarks for Hollywood movie producers, politically-connected "green" energy companies, and professional sports leagues are effective tax rate increases for lower income Americans who can't afford to hire lobbyists,' Hart told MailOnline. 'True tax reform will create shared prosperity rather than shared misery.' Grover Norquist, the anti-tax crusader . whose Americans For Tax Reform pressures lawmakers from both major . parties to pledge that they won't vote for tax increases while in . office, was angered by the idea of a new tax increase from the left side . of the aisle. Grover Norquist, a conservative tax activist and president of Americans for Tax Reform (R), has raised eyebrows with his endorsement of immigration reform laws but has remained steadfast on his signature issue: preventing tax increases . 'Congresswoman Schakowsky's collection of tax hikes - just four months after Obama's income and social security tax hikes - reminds us that Democrats' answer to all questions is "raise taxes,"' Norquist told MailOnline. 'And after that, "raise taxes, again." This never ends.' A senior Republican aide told MailOnline that the Democrats' 'incessant drumbeat to hike taxes' would ultimately 'kill off millions of jobs in this country, and that's really their biggest sin.' 'For all the Dems' talk about compassion,' he added, 'I just don't see it.' The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak about pending legislation. Daniel Patrick Head, the press secretary for Wyoming Republican Sen Mike Enzi, also vented about Schakowsky's tax-increase plan. 'It's easy to say people should pay more in taxes when you aren’t the one that is paying them,' Head told MailOnline. 'The fiscal cliff plan provided hundreds of billions of dollars in tax increases earlier this year. Senator Enzi would like to see a focus on encouraging growth through simplifying the tax code, broadening the base, and lowering the rates instead of always trying to raise people’s taxes.' 'The government has to stop its borrowing and spending,' he added.' President Barack Obama has similarly called for higher tax rates on upper-income earners, insisting that they 'pay their fair share.' He has also called for continued year-on-year increases in federal government spending . In January President Obama's administration allowed a payroll tax holiday to expire, restoring older rates for Social Security and Medicare withholding and costing taxpayers an additional 2 per cent of their income up to $110,100. A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment about whether the president supports Schakowsky's plan to expand the tax base even more. Republicans in the House continue to project a united front on their leaders' goal of reforming the U.S. tax code. 'The (GOP) conference will unite around tax reform,' House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy told The Washington Post on Saturday. 'The window is now.' Dave Camp, a Republican who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, added that conservatives want to scrap the entire tax code and start from scratch, with the goal of keeping just two income tax rates in place - with a 25 per cent ceiling. 'We're not going to take the current code and see what comes out,' Camp told the Post. 'We're going to take a blank piece of paper and see what goes back in.' Co-sponsors of Schakowsky's bill include Reps. John Conyers of Michigan, Donna Edwards of Maryland, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Barbara Lee of California, Betty McCollum of Minnesota and John Yarmuth of Kentucky. All are Democrats with liberal voting records.
Win a $1 million lotto jackpot? You would pay $450,000 to the IRS .
Anti-tax conservatives slam plan for lacking middle-class tax cuts .
GOP House majority makes serious consideration highly unlikely .
By . David Martosko In Washington . PUBLISHED: . 12:20 EST, 29 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:24 EST, 29 April 2013 . Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Illinois, said she wants to raise the income tax rates paid by America's top earners to between 45 and 49 per cent, largely to justify more government spending. 'We need increased revenue,' she said in a statement, 'to eliminate the sequester, fund investments in education, public safety, and infrastructure and provide support for Americans striving to reach the middle class.' U.s. Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky wants top earners to pay more - a lot more - to the government at tax time, and justifies it with calls for revenue that would enable more spending . Billionaire Warren Buffett has said he would welcome a requirement to pay more in income tax. Obama has called for a 30 per cent 'Buffett Rule' tax plan. Schakowsky's would put rates far higher . Schakowsky said her Fairness in Taxation Act, introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday, would put more money in the hands of the poor and the middle class. 'Our country faces an inequality crisis,' she insisted. America's top marginal tax rate sits at 39.6 per cent, a rate that's paid on income earned over $400,000 for single filers and above $450,000 for married earners who file tax returns jointly with their spouses. Schakowsky would add five new tax brackets, starting with a 45 per cent rate for income between $1 million and $10 million, and ending with 49 per cent for earnings after a taxpayer's first $1 billion in any tax year. That stratospheric top rate would only affect a handful of Americans, mostly those in the financial sector and many successful business entrepreneurs. Conservative push-back: Sen. Tom Coburn (L) isn't impressed with Jan Schakowsky's plan to hike tax rates for business leaders and entrepreneurs who earn more than $1 million, but the IRS would reap a windfall . While a Republican House majority makes it extremely unlikely that Schakowsky's bill would receive serious consideration - much less a vote - Senate Republicans also slammed the idea. 'Instead of raising rates on anyone we should lower rates for everyone by getting rid of special interest subsidies in the tax code, said John Hart, Communications Director for Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican. Hart also pointed out Schakowsky's legislation doesn't balance a tax increase on the rich with tax cuts for lower-income earners. Those Americans, he said, are already frozen out of the behind-the-scenes lobbying efforts mounted by large corporations, effectively freezing them out of any chance to see their taxes lowered. 'Tax earmarks for Hollywood movie producers, politically-connected "green" energy companies, and professional sports leagues are effective tax rate increases for lower income Americans who can't afford to hire lobbyists,' Hart told MailOnline. 'True tax reform will create shared prosperity rather than shared misery.' Grover Norquist, the anti-tax crusader . whose Americans For Tax Reform pressures lawmakers from both major . parties to pledge that they won't vote for tax increases while in . office, was angered by the idea of a new tax increase from the left side . of the aisle. Grover Norquist, a conservative tax activist and president of Americans for Tax Reform (R), has raised eyebrows with his endorsement of immigration reform laws but has remained steadfast on his signature issue: preventing tax increases . 'Congresswoman Schakowsky's collection of tax hikes - just four months after Obama's income and social security tax hikes - reminds us that Democrats' answer to all questions is "raise taxes,"' Norquist told MailOnline. 'And after that, "raise taxes, again." This never ends.' A senior Republican aide told MailOnline that the Democrats' 'incessant drumbeat to hike taxes' would ultimately 'kill off millions of jobs in this country, and that's really their biggest sin.' 'For all the Dems' talk about compassion,' he added, 'I just don't see it.' The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak about pending legislation. Daniel Patrick Head, the press secretary for Wyoming Republican Sen Mike Enzi, also vented about Schakowsky's tax-increase plan. 'It's easy to say people should pay more in taxes when you aren’t the one that is paying them,' Head told MailOnline. 'The fiscal cliff plan provided hundreds of billions of dollars in tax increases earlier this year. Senator Enzi would like to see a focus on encouraging growth through simplifying the tax code, broadening the base, and lowering the rates instead of always trying to raise people’s taxes.' 'The government has to stop its borrowing and spending,' he added.' President Barack Obama has similarly called for higher tax rates on upper-income earners, insisting that they 'pay their fair share.' He has also called for continued year-on-year increases in federal government spending . In January President Obama's administration allowed a payroll tax holiday to expire, restoring older rates for Social Security and Medicare withholding and costing taxpayers an additional 2 per cent of their income up to $110,100. A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment about whether the president supports Schakowsky's plan to expand the tax base even more. Republicans in the House continue to project a united front on their leaders' goal of reforming the U.S. tax code. 'The (GOP) conference will unite around tax reform,' House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy told The Washington Post on Saturday. 'The window is now.' Dave Camp, a Republican who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, added that conservatives want to scrap the entire tax code and start from scratch, with the goal of keeping just two income tax rates in place - with a 25 per cent ceiling. 'We're not going to take the current code and see what comes out,' Camp told the Post. 'We're going to take a blank piece of paper and see what goes back in.' Co-sponsors of Schakowsky's bill include Reps. John Conyers of Michigan, Donna Edwards of Maryland, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Barbara Lee of California, Betty McCollum of Minnesota and John Yarmuth of Kentucky. All are Democrats with liberal voting records.
Schakowsky's plan to hike tax rates for business million, but the IRS would reap a windfall . While a Republican House majority makes it receive serious consideration - much less a vote