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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01), who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, opposed the Ryan-McConnell tax bill today in a committee vote because it would increase taxes on America’s middle class.

“My Republican colleagues have not answered the cries of the people in this country who are just looking for a little fairness and relief in our nation’s tax code,” DelBene said. “As I pointed out in the markup, Speaker Ryan has made certain that corporations can still deduct supplies, offshoring expenses and unlimited property taxes, but ripped those same benefits away from working families. While ultra-wealthy and well-connected Americans receive the majority of the tax cuts in this plan, middle-class families could see their taxes increase. Under their plan, corporations get permanent tax cuts, while working families will have to beg Congress to extend the temporary scraps this bill throws them. This legislation hurts Americans from cradle to retirement. I will not accept this, and based on what I’m hearing from my constituents, neither will the American people.”

The Republican bill would add well over $1 trillion to the deficit, paid for on the backs of workers, seniors and future generations. It would eliminate key provisions that have provided relief to American families for years, such as the medical expense deduction, the student loan interest deduction, and teacher expense deduction. It would also limit the mortgage interest and property tax deductions that make home ownership possible for countless families across the country.

Democrats, including DelBene, offered amendments to protect middle-class families from tax hikes that would make housing, education and healthcare among other things more costly, but Republicans blocked them all.

Video of DelBene offering and speaking in support of amendments follow:

·         Amendment to expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit by 50 percent to provide affordable housing options,

·         Amendment to permanently repeal the Cadillac Tax on healthcare plans,

·         Amendment to allow individuals to retain the same deduction corporations get to keep,

·         Amendment to incentivize employer apprenticeship programs,

·         Amendment to reinstate the tax credit for families who adopt,

·         Amendment to retain education tax credits for employer tuition reimbursement programs, student loan interest deductions and the teacher tax credit for classroom expenses,

·         Amendment to retain deductions for farmers.

According to the Joint Committee on Taxation’s initial analysis of H.R. 1, this bill will result in tax increases for 5.8 million taxpayers earning $75,000-$100,000, and 7.7 million taxpayers earning $50,000-$75,000 in 2025. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the top 1 percent of households will get 31 percent of the plan’s tax cuts in the first year it takes effect. Numerous reports have debunked the Republican myth that “trickle down” economics benefits the middle class. 

The House Ways and Means Committee passed the Republican tax bill out of committee along party lines after just four days of markup and less than a week of having the bill text available to committee members and the public. Chairman Brady made his own changes to the underlying measure twice during the course of the week without providing Democratic members an opportunity for thorough analysis of the highly technical amendments. The last time Congress passed a major tax overhaul in 1986, the committee underwent a year-long review of tax reform proposals, with 30 days of public hearings and a 26-day markup of legislative text. House Speaker Paul Ryan has said he plans to rush the bill, bringing it before the whole House for a floor vote as early as next week. 

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