The GOP Tax Scam — And How We Fight Back

The American people want Washington to lower costs, not give handouts to the wealthy at their expense.

Guest article by Michael Linden, Director of Families Over Billionaires and former Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Editorial credit: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com

This week, the Senate is trying to pass Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam – a bill that would gut health care and food assistance for millions of Americans in order to fund massive tax breaks for the rich.

I’ve worked extensively in economic policy, including at the White House Office of Management and Budget and at the Senate Budget Committee. I’ve seen a lot of budget proposals in my time, but never have I seen one as fundamentally and inarguably unfair as this one.

Here’s what you need to know: Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam would kick 16 million people off their health insurance, take food assistance away from millions of Americans – including up to 18 million poor children – and raise costs for nearly 80 million low- and middle-income households in the form of higher prices on everything from health care to energy bills to college tuition. At the same time, the Scam would deliver another round of massive tax breaks to the richest households in the country. Very simply, the Tax Scam takes from the poor and the middle and gives to the rich.

But you don’t need to take it from me. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has confirmed how skewed this bill is to the wealthy. Over 80 percent of the benefits in this bill go to the richest 5 percent. Costs for the bottom 10 percent of Americans will go up by $1,600, while the richest 10 percent get a $12,000 handout. All of that adds up to trillions of dollars being taken from programs that help everyday families to give more money to the ultra-wealthy and large corporations.

If that all sounds bad to you, you’re not alone. Nobody, except for the billionaires it benefits, likes this bill. Poll after poll confirms that the majority of Americans – even Trump supporters – are overwhelmingly opposed to cutting essential services like Medicaid and food assistance to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. Voters don’t support this legislation, and the more they learn about it, the stronger they oppose it.

The bad news is that the polling also tells us that MANY Americans have no idea what is happening right now – partly because Republicans are lying and hiding the truth, including with midnight votes and secret negotiations. They know voting for this bill will be unpopular, and they’re just hoping that no one notices.

That’s where you come in. The pressure that’s already out there is making a difference, but we can’t take our foot off the gas. Recently, we saw millions of Americans join ‘No Kings’ protests across the country voicing their opposition against this administration’s agenda to favor the few at the expense of the many. That pressure, people showing up to town halls and demanding answers, has exposed Republican lies time and time again. When Iowa Senator Joni Ernst was asked by a constituent about the avoidable deaths cutting Medicaid will cause, her only response was to callously dismiss the concern, saying “well, we all are going to die.” When pressed about how harmful this tax scam will be, Republican lawmakers have no answer.

So here’s what you can do: Call your Senator at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote no on this harmful legislation. Speak out on social media, share your stories, and talk to your friends and neighbors about how this bill would hurt everyday people. The more we can shine a light on this betrayal, the harder it will be for them to vote for it.

Let’s remind every lawmaker in Washington that they work for us, not their billionaire donors, and if they betray working families to deliver tax breaks for billionaires, they will be held accountable.

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Watch the recent MeidasTouch interview with Michael Linden on YouTube here.