Stop the Epic Rip Off of the Working and Middle Classes

The Great “Tax Reform” Rip off continues to move through Congress. The House has passed its own draconian bill. This week the Senate plans to vote on its own version. Either would be a disaster for middle and low income families, state and local governments, teachers, college students and the U.S. economy. Who benefits? Large corporations, America’s wealthiest households and foreign investors. Who pays for this? We will all pay many times over with an exploding deficit and deep cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Tell Congress today, “NO! to the Tax Rip off.”

The fraudulent “tax reform” bills are speeding their way through Congress, without hearings, testimony, or bipartisan consultation because the Republicans believe they need a legislative “win” before the end of the year. Even many Republican voters oppose the punitive aspects of these bills. The only winners are the wealthy Republican donors - the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson and the Trumps. For this victory they are ready and willing to add at least $1.5 TRILLION to the national debt and unsettle the US economy.

On Sunday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released it’s analysis of the Senate Plan.  It is as ugly as we thought.  By 2019, Americans earning less than $30,000 a year would be worse off.  By 2021 Americans earning $40,000 or less would be net losers and by 2027, most people earning less than $75,000 a year would be worse off.  On the flip side millionaires and those earning $100,000 to $500,000 would be big beneficiaries.

The Senate bill adds a repeal of the individual mandate that all citizens must have health insurance. After their unsuccessful efforts to repeal the ACA, this amounts to a back door repeal that will leave as many as 13 million more individuals without insurance coverage and raise insurance premiums for everyone else.

This historic hypocrisy of raising the deficit to feed the rich is just the beginning. For years, Republicans have led the charge to “balance the budget” and force reductions in social programs to achieve that goal. Now they are pushing a bill that will add $1.5 TRILLION to the deficit and there’s hardly a peep from all those deficit hawks. House Republicans are already at work on the bill that will reduce these newly created deficits by cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid next year. In exchange for massive tax cuts for corporations and the super wealthy, Republicans are working to cut the programs that the rest of us depend on.

Call to Action

...and we all MUST CALL and CALL AS MUCH AS WE CAN!

1. Call your Senators and tell them very clearly that the proposed tax “reform” bill is unfair, destructive and a deficit buster. Make it clear that in no way do you support cuts for the wealthy and tax increases for the middle class.
2. BONUS CALL: Using the Congressional Switchboard number (202-224-3121) or individual numbers listed, call the offices of Senators Flake (AZ  202-224-4521), McCain (AZ  202-224-2235), Collins (ME  202-224-2523)), Paul (KY  202-224-4343)) and Corker (TN  202-224-3344)) and remind them of their longstanding opposition to “deficit exploding” legislation. Urge them, even though you are not from their state, that they have a moral responsibility to stop this budget train wreck. Remind them, as well, of their commitment to “regular order” in passing legislation of this significance.