WASHINGTON — “The middle class is gonna get it,” warned Rep. Mark Pacon, D-Wis., on Wednesday as he and other Democrats accused Republicans of misrepresenting their tax plan and called on the GOP-controlled Congress to reject it.
Pacon and other members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus argued that the Republican proposal, which includes tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, would create incentives for companies to move jobs overseas and force cuts to Social Security, Medicaid and other social programs, leaving low-income and middle-class people behind.
“They say there will be tax cuts for everyone. Not so,” said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. “They say the cuts will lead to more jobs, but that’s not true, either. They say these tax cuts don’t benefit the wealthy… nothing could be further from the truth.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell argued that the Republican plan would create jobs and allow more Americans to save money by paying less in taxes. “We want to lower taxes and simplify rates,” he said in a statement. “We want to expand job creation and grow paychecks. We want to take more money out of Washington’s pocket and put more in yours.”
However, Progressive Caucus members warned that tax cuts for large corporations would not result in job creation. The money from those cuts would go, not “into jobs or investment, but campaign donations and lobbying,” said Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who is also deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Ellison also warned that the proposed tax cuts will later be used to justify cuts to social service programs. “They want to blow a hole in the budget and then claim they can’t afford Head Start,” he said. “If you like Meals on Wheels, this is the wrong tax cut for you.”
The podium featured a “#NotOnePenny” sign, a reference to a progressive campaign that aims to prevent all tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. Activists from Not One Penny and other groups attended the conference alongside lawmakers. Some held signs that said, “No rigged tax reform” and “Don’t cut Medicaid to give tax breaks to the rich.”
In May, the Congressional Progressive Caucus published its own suggested budget for the 2018 fiscal year. That budget would include $2 trillion in infrastructure and education investments and would increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
Ellison told reporters he anticipates a significant battle over the tax proposal, comparing it to the fight over Obamacare repeal. “This is the fight of a lifetime,” he said. “We better buckle up.”