Commentary: Washington, D.C. – Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) with CPC Member & House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy Ranking Member Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) released the following statements denouncing the proposed Republican tax plan, which would harm working families, while benefiting their rich donors and large corporations.
The CPC fair tax priorities provide a framework for actually increasing wages for working families and the middle class, while protecting vital federal programs, preventing more offshoring of American jobs, and holding corporations and the super-rich accountable for paying their fair share.
“For decades, a rigged tax system has rewarded political donors and further enriched the wealthiest few at the expense of hard-working American families” said Rep. Grijalva. “Every tax proposal put in place by Republicans continues this scam of giving even more tax breaks to their allies while threatening essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that are indispensable for millions of Americans. The CPC priorities for any tax plan ensure workers and their families get a fair deal, and we will oppose the usual Republican trickle down rhetoric where the richest get richer while the middle class picks up the tab.”
“The Republican tax plan is a ‘Billionaires First’ tax plan and there is no way around it. By slashing tax rates for the wealthiest Americans and corporations while sticking the middle class with the bill, Speaker Ryan’s claim that they are doing it for the middle class is a bold faced lie,” said Rep. Pocan. “The White House and Congressional Republicans are continuing their long tradition of fighting for special interests while stacking the deck against hardworking Americans. Eliminating critical deductions for working families to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy is wrong. Rather than go down a road that will make life harder for the middle class, Congress should stand by the CPC’s tax priorities to ensure every American has the opportunity to succeed. The American middle class deserves a better tax plan than the fast-tracked, back-room deals being jammed through by Paul Ryan and the Republicans.”
“The Republican scheme to lavish tax breaks on large multinationals and those at the very top will not grow the economy nor help the middle class. With a special new tax break on offshore profits, multinationals will offshore more jobs. Borrowing trillions from abroad to pay for these tax breaks will ultimately be paid for by working families through cuts to Social Security and Medicare” Rep. Doggett said. “These progressive priorities put working families and our nation’s fiscal health before the wealthiest few special interests.”
Please watch and share the CPC #NotOnePenny Tax Priorities video on Facebook and Twitter.
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is the largest caucus within the House Democratic Caucus, with over 70 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and promote civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, a $15 national minimum wage, fair trade, gun violence reform, debt-free college, and making the federal government a Model Employer.