Republicans finally unveiled their #TrumpTaxScam last Thursday. It is a massive giveaway to giant banks, hedge funds, multinational corporations, and the rich and their families at the expense of most of the rest of us. By blowing a $1.5 trillion hole in the deficit, it paves the way for cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and, potentially, Social Security.
House Republicans are already marking up their bill. And the Senate is expected to introduce their bill this week. Just as with TrumpCare, the only chance Republicans have to get this bill through is if We, the People, don’t make enough noise. But if we show national, mobilized, local opposition to this scam before most members of Congress (MoCs) make up their minds, we can stop them in their tracks.
And. We. Can. Win.
Call-to-action
Call your lawmakers today to ask them to oppose the #TrumpTaxScam:
- Elizabeth Warren (202) 224-4543
- Edward Markey (202) 224-2742
- Bill Keating (202) 225-3111
Sample Script
Caller: Hello! My name is [___] and I’m calling from Cape Cod. I’m calling to let [Congressman / Senator __] know that I strongly oppose the tax bill released by House Republicans on November 2. This tax bill is a scam that will give massive cuts to the wealthy, paid for by forcing deep cuts to critical programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security down the line.
Staffer: Thank you for calling! The [Congressman / Senator] is against the Republican tax bill; he/she does not believe we should give a tax cut to the wealthy and corporations.
Caller: That’s great. I’m very glad the [Congressman / Senator] is standing with his/her constituents instead of standing with Donald Trump and his rich friends. [If speaking to Senate office: Will the Senator commit to withholding consent on votes in the Senate so that we have time to mobilize against this bill?]
Staffer: I haven’t talked to the Senator about that, but I’ll pass your thoughts along.
Caller: That’s what I expect out of the [Congressman / Senator]. It’s not enough just to vote no, he/she needs to actively work to slow down the Trump Tax Scam and expose it for the scam it is. Please take down my info so you can let me know what he/she is doing to slow down or help defeat the #TrumpTaxScam.
After you make your call, let Indivisible know how it went by clicking here.
Background
So much of what we care about is on the chopping block in the #TrumpTaxScam. Here’s what the GOP is willing to do just to give themselves and their millionaire and billionaire friends a tax cut:
- Penalize those with debt… and make them pay more: People with medical or student loan debt would no longer be able to deduct those expenses from their taxes.
- Attack immigrants: More than 5 million immigrant parents with US-citizen children would no longer be able to receive the Child Tax Credit. And some immigrants working legally in the US would lose access to the Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Stand in the way of adoptions: Adoptive parents would lose a key tax credit that helps offset the (very high!) costs of adoption.
- Disincentivize job growth in rural and urban areas: The GOP also removes a tax credit that encourages businesses to invest in places hit hardest by the recession–mostly rural communities and urban areas. (Hmm… what’s that again about Trump being a jobs president?)
- Exacerbate wealth inequality: The #TrumpTaxScam gives huge tax cuts to the wealthy by phasing out the estate tax, repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax, and limiting the tax rate on income earned by hedge funds, private law firms, and the Trump Organization. The bill also slashes the corporate tax rate so corporations can line the pockets of their shareholders.
- Add $1.5 trillion to the deficit: And once they balloon the deficit, they’ll use that as an argument to make deep, dangerous cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security in 2018.
Resources
Who Wins and Who Loses From the Republican Tax Plan
Warren and Sanders Deliver 3-Minute Takedown of GOP’s Pro-Billionaire Tax Scam
The wealthy men in Trump’s inner circle with links to tax havens
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