Republicans Are Selling Out Working Families — But We Can Stop Them

Their Billionaire Tax Scam will kick millions off their health insurance and raise costs for working families – all to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.

Written by Michael Linden, Director of Families Over Billionaires and former Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the Biden Administration. Follow Families Over Billionaires on social @TaxWarRoom and check out their Substack here.

Guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk get prime seating at Donald Trump’s inauguration, Jan. 20, 2025. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS

Republicans in Congress are betraying everyday Americans to give trillions in tax handouts to billionaires and corporations. This week, the Senate is voting to advance their Billionaire Tax Scam that slashes Medicaid, takes food assistance away from people in need, and raises costs for working families all across the country – all to pay for tax breaks for the rich. That may sound like political hyperbole, but it’s not.

I worked on countless federal budgets and helped shape economic policy as Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden White House, so I know firsthand just how devastating Republicans’ tax plans will be for working families. That’s why I am working with the Families Over Billionaires campaign to stop these billionaire-first tax plans, and I hope you’ll join us – and the millions of your fellow Americans from across the political spectrum who oppose giving tax breaks to the wealthy – in the fight.

From the moment he was sworn in, Trump showed America who he was really fighting for by literally putting billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in front-row seats at his inauguration while his working-class supporters were left out in the cold.

Since then, things have only gotten worse. Trump and his billionaire co-president, Elon Musk, have gutted essential services for millions of Americans, including slashing resources for the Veterans’ Administration, Social Security, and the Department of Education. So, what does that mean for you? Those cuts mean seniors can’t access their Social Security benefits and checks might be delayed in the coming months. It means veterans will face longer wait times for life-saving medical care and the benefits they have earned through their brave service. It means your local public school will see teacher layoffs, bigger class sizes, and fewer resources for students with disabilities.

Those are just some of the many illegal, reckless, and harmful cuts Musk is making to finance tax breaks for himself and his billionaire friends. Republicans have already admitted that they will use the money Musk slashes from critical services to help offset the massive cost of their tax plan. And Republicans know that these wildly unpopular cuts would never make it through Congress, which is why they’re relying on Musk to do their dirty work through DOGE. But these services and benefits for everyday people aren't Musk and Republicans’ personal piggy bank — they are lifesaving, fundamental resources that millions of Americans rely on.

Republicans are hoping that the American people won’t notice what they’re doing or that they can hide the truth about their plan. But we aren’t falling for their lies. In just the past few weeks, thousands have taken to the streets all across the country to make their voices heard and speak out against the disruption and chaos caused by the Trump-Musk administration and the harms of their billionaire-first agenda.

In fact, we know that most Americans – including most Republicans – disagree with what Congressional Republicans are doing. Most Americans, including most Trump voters, think the wealthy and corporations pay too little in taxes. And the overwhelming majority of Americans are against Republicans’ draconian cuts to essential services, again including a majority of Trump voters. This isn’t a red or blue, liberal or conservative, or even Republican or Democratic issue – it’s about whose side you’re on: working families or billionaires and big corporations.

Because their plans are so massively unpopular, Republicans are using a special process called reconciliation that will allow them to sneak it through Congress despite opposition. While the process is long and complicated, Republicans' end game is clear: They want to pass a billionaire-first tax plan which will cost trillions, and force everyday Americans to foot the bill.

Seventy percent of the tax bill’s benefits go to the richest 5%, while costs go up for the bottom 40% of Americans. Meanwhile, their plan cuts trillions in funding from essential programs, including kicking millions off their health insurance, taking away school meals from children in need, and raising costs for working families. Senate Republicans are trying to hide the size of their cuts, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the language they include in their bill forces massive cuts to Medicaid.

Luckily, the Senate vote this week is only the first step in the process and it’s not too late to stop their plans from becoming law. If we all speak out, we can hold Congressional Republicans accountable and stop them from screwing over everyday Americans.

So, if you’re one of the millions of Americans who doesn’t want to have your health care taken away, your kids’ school lose resources, your Social Security check be jeopardized, then it’s time to join the fight against Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam. Call your Member of Congress at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote no on the budget proposal. Speak out on social media. Make sure your friends and neighbors know what is happening in Congress, and how it would make life harder and more expensive for working families all across the country.

Together, we can send a clear message to our elected leaders: there will be consequences if you vote to put billionaires over working families.