December 6, 2017
In the early hours of Saturday morning, the senate passed the #GOPTaxScam. The bill is a dangerous travesty. Because the bill is about 500 pages long with hand-written scribbles and mark-ups, analysts – let alone senators – are just starting to realize the depths of some of its implications. Here’s what we’re learning:
The bill is projected to cost the U.S. $1.4 trillion, with two-thirds of that money going to the top 1%.
Congress’ own Joint Committee on Taxation projects that by 2027, more than 80 percent of U.S. taxpayers wind up with either a tax increase or a benefit of less than $100.
And we’ll all pay for it, with cuts to Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, and also affordable housing programs, public transportation services, Pell Grants, and so much more.
The bill also is projected to drive 13 million people from health insurance, likely causing the Affordable Care Act to implode.
The Senate bill changes the treatment of state and local taxes, which could impact Kentucky’s budget for schools and roads.
The bill also opens up more protected federal land in Alaska to oil drilling.
Check out this article for some of the other nuggets in the bill that are just being discovered, including provisions that could impact access to reproductive health and the political activity of churches.
The bill is headed to a conference, where the Senate and the House will work to reconcile their two bills. That means that it’s not over yet. Your voices and actions are vital.
Learn more
Learn more on KFTC’s Action Page, where you’ll find graphics, handouts, and more information about the House and Senate versions of the GOP Tax Scam. You can also learn more about the tangle of this bill, and the next step for protecting our democracy–staving against a government shut-down, and passing a Trump-proof DREAM Act–from Indivisible.
