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"Not One Penny" Campaign Hosts Rally With Leaders Pelosi and Schumer

Commentary: Washington, D.C. — As the House prepares to vote on massive tax cuts for the top one percent on the backs of working families, hundreds of activists and advocates rallied at the U.S. Capitol with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to demand not one penny in tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations. This comes the day after Republican leadership announced revisions to the Senate tax plan that would leave an additional 13 million Americans uninsured and inflate premiums for working families to pay for massive tax cuts for wealthy corporations.

Speakers at the rally, including numerous Members of Congress, the heads of progressive organizations, and constituents harmed by the tax plan, also demanded that President Trump release his tax returns so the American people know just how much he and his donors stand to gain from a tax bill that benefits the wealthy and well-connected.

“The Republican tax bill is a shameless tax scam of staggering proportions,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. “Republicans are hiking taxes on tens of millions of middle class families, all just to give deficit-exploding handouts to corporations and the wealthy. Democrats in Congress are proud to stand with Americans across the country to demand ‘Not One Penny’ for the 1 percent. Together, we will stand firm against the Republican efforts to cheat, swindle, and scam the American people.”

“They’re taking away money from the middle class and working people’s health care so they can cut taxes for the rich,”said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. “Shame on them. It’s unbelievable: 13 million people will lose health care and premiums will go up 10 percent, all so the wealthy and powerful in America can get a huge tax break. No American wants that.”

“The Republican tax bill threatens our country.” said Representative Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Tax Policy and Congressman from Texas. “It is wrong. It’s all about financing tax cuts for those sitting way up top the economic ladder and the giant multinational corporations that have exported so many American jobs.”

“This is the most audacious bank heist in U.S. history,” said U.S. Senator from Oregon, Jeff Merkely. “They want to drain the national treasury, put us in debt, cut other programs, all in order to help the very richest Americans.”

“This bill is about enriching the wealthiest in our country and corporate special interests on the backs of our country’s middle class,” said New York's 14th congressional district Representative, Joe Crowley. “The 1 percent will benefit because it will increase our debt by $2.3 trillion dollars. And that means we’ll have to cut Social Security and cut Medicaid. It’s a setup.”  

“This bill is a classic bait and switch. It’s a con artist’s dream, and we are not buying it,” said Lily Eskelsen Garcia, President of the National Education Association. “One of the things we looked at in this bill is how it’s going to impact our students. For the kids in your life, this is the civics lesson of our time. There is a right answer and a wrong answer when this bill hits the floor. They didn’t do their homework, and we’re sending them back with a great big no.”  

“How will they make up for millions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy? ” said Anna Corbin from the Little Lobbyists, and the mother of two kids with complex medical needs. “It’s pretty clear they’re going to come after us. They could get rid of the deductions that many families who have children with complex medical needs rely on, or they could cut Medicaid. Of course, there’s always the option that they’ll do both, and they’ll take away our Medicaid lifeline. Cutting taxes means cutting services. Not one penny can be taken from children with complex medical needs. Not one penny can be given to the wealthy at the expense of those who need it most. And not one penny can be sacrificed when our children’s lives, lifelines, and livelihoods are under attack.”

The rally was coordinated in partnership with Tax March, Americans for Tax Fairness, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Communications Workers of America, Indivisible, League of Conservation Voters, Little Lobbyists, Main Street Alliance, MoveOn.org, Patriotic Millionaires, Stand Up America, and others.

Recent analysisshows that Republicans’ framework is designed to shower even more benefits on millionaires and wealthy corporations as time goes by, while at least 25 percent of taxpayers would pay more by 2027.

The video of the rally can be viewed here.