On November 16, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the misnamed “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” by a vote of 227 yeas to 205 nays. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate, which is expected to take up its own tax cut bill NEXT WEEK. While details of the House and Senate tax proposals differ, both would give big tax cuts to the richest families and corporations, while most middle- and low-income families would realize little or no benefit—with many even seeing their taxes go up. Even more damaging is that both bills would increase the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over the next decade, forcing cuts to critical programs. That means the tax bill will ultimately lead to cuts in programs that are integral to the wellbeing of all Americans – especially children and their families, senior citizens, disabled Americans, students, and low- and middle-income working families. Tax bill induced cuts will be to programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, civil rights enforcement, housing assistance, public education, Social Security, and Medicare among others.
For more information on the Senate bill, as well as information on how you can become an advocate, please review the attached Urgent Action Alert. It is also an Issue Update, as it describes how each Member of the US House voted on the tax bill.
