Commentary: Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rául M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) issued the following statement in response to passage of the House Republican tax plan that deeply benefits the wealthy and corporations while raising taxes on millions of working class Americans.
“This redistribution of wealth reaches deep into the pockets of the middle class working families who drive this economy and create jobs in order to give millionaire takers like Donald Trump and his friends more money at our expense,” said Rep. Grijalva. “Simply put: this bill is a transfer of money to the rich from the rest of us. You know who doesn’t need a tax hike? Students, teachers, small business owners, and workers. But that’s exactly who’s going to pay so that millionaires and huge corporations can get a tax cut. Adding insult to injury – Medicare is going to suffer a 25 billion dollar cut. This bill may just be the ultimate American betrayal.”
“The GOP tax plan even makes the middle class pay for tax breaks for corporations that outsource their jobs to foreign countries. Rather than developing a plan that would expand economic opportunities and strengthen the middle class, Speaker Ryan and House Republicans are further rigging the economy against the American people,” said Rep. Pocan. “Republicans claim they are doubling the standard deduction, but in reality, they eliminated deductions like those for state and local taxes, student loan interest, and medical expenses, raising taxes on 36 million middle class households. Hundreds of thousands of Speaker Ryan’s own constituents rely on these deductions, including many that utilize the state and local tax deduction.”
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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.