Have you read the bill? Most of what are described as "tax cuts" are more in the vein of "tax relief" or merely "tax-related". Here's a link to the in-house summary from the Appropriations Committee:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8093752And my summary on the tax items after reading the bill:
$87 billion for a temporary increase in the Medicaid matching rate.
$43 billion for increased unemployment benefits and job training
$39 billion helping with healthcare under COBRA and providing short-term options to be covered by Medicaid.
$79 billion in state fiscal relief to prevent cutbacks to key services
$4.1 billion to provide for preventative care and to evaluate the most effective healthcare treatments
$15.6 billion to increase the Pell grant by $500
$4 billion for state and local law enforcement funding.
$27 billion to local school districts
$20 billion to increase the food stamp benefit by over 13% in order to help defray rising food costs.
$275 billion total
Many of these are investments in public services (law enforcement, education, etc) that aren't coming from the taxes of the middle class. It also includes many of the middle-class tax cut and relief items he spoke of during the campaign.
Now, Rachel isn't wrong when it comes to infrastructure. There does need to be more spending. A lot more:
$32 billion to transform the nation's energy transmission, distribution, and production systems
$16 billion to repair public housing and make key energy efficiency retrofits.
$6 billion to weatherize modest-income homes
$10 billion for science facilities, research, and instrumentation
$6 billion to expand broadband internet access
$30 billion for highway construction
$31 billion to modernize federal and other public infrastructure
$19 billion for clean water, flood control, and environmental restoration investments
$10 billion for transit and rail
$14 billion for School Modernization and Repair Program
$6 billion for higher education modernization
$20 billion for health information technology
$200 billion total
The remaining $350 billion includes investments in research and development for renewable energy, health and other new technologies, electric transit, etc. There is also around $235 million designated for oversight, to ensure that the money is being spent properly by the various Department Inspectors General. I haven't properly compiled this list as of yet. Many, however, can also be categorized in infrastructure, in the sense that they are for bonds and other incentives.
I second the motion, though, that every contact their reps to insist on more spending; I've already done so myself. I just wanted to clear up the slight misconception that the tax-related items are all "tax cuts" - which people tend to believe, after eight years, are automatically for the rich.
Edited for spellingEdited again to include some stuff I forgot