Statement:
Both the Senate and House tax bills are costly new giveaways to the wealthy and major corporations at the expense of working families, including tens of millions of low-income and middle-class Americans who actually would face a tax increase. Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell did the right thing for Washington state by voting against this dangerous bill. We now call on Washington’s 10 Representatives to stand with their constituents, demand a full conference process, and reject the final tax bill.
Both tax bills would explode deficits, strain our state budget, and almost certainly force cuts to everything from nutrition assistance for families to education, Medicare and Medicaid, and infrastructure. The Senate bill goes further, increasing the number of uninsured people by 13 million to pay for even larger corporate tax cuts. Both bills also eliminate the state and local income and sales tax deduction, which would only make matters worse by increasing pressure on our state budget, making it harder for state legislators to make investments in kids and strong communities.
Small changes won’t fix the bills’ fundamental flaws. And the merged tax bill that comes out of a conference committee will be more of the same – offering nothing to most working families and ultimately hurting many. Instead of tax cuts that help those who need it the least, legislators should work to advance tax policies that invest in working families while ensuring that any tax bill is paid for by closing tax loopholes or other responsible tax changes.
