Hoyer Discusses the GOP Tax Scam and Priorities That Must Be Addressed Before the End of the Year on Bloomberg TV
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Press Release
For Immediate Release:
December 14, 2017
Contact Info:
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined Bloomberg TV today to discuss the GOP tax scam and the need for Republicans to work with Democrats to address the priorities of the American people. Below are excerpts from the interview and a link to the video:
On the GOP Tax Scam
“… I haven't seen the conference report. I asked the Majority Leader a few minutes ago, was it available to be looked at? He indicated that it was not. I don't know exactly what they have done. But I agree with you. I don't think it is a sure thing that it will pass the United States Senate. First of all, what they have done is made it a bill that is even more skewed toward the wealthy in America. The bills, the House and the Senate bills, had millions of people getting a tax hike… The wealthiest people in America were getting 62% of the benefits… I think this conference report will also have the impact of a $25 billion cut in Medicare next year. This is not a bill the American people support. As a matter of fact, the polls show they overwhelmingly oppose it.”
“Well, we think the Republican majority has not done the work of the American people, they have not given us the opportunity to do the work of the American people. They’ve been focused on, really, on two bills, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act -and they took some nine months to try to do that, they failed. They’re now passing a tax bill in the most ramrod way — just ramming it through. No hearings; no witnesses; very little time to consider one of the most complex pieces of legislation that the Congress passes, and that’s a tax bill. We think it is a very negative impact on the American people, and we are pleased that the American people get it. They know what this bill does. It gives money to the rich and does not do much for the working class. That is not a good thing, particularly when you have Speaker Ryan saying that’s the objective of this bill. It is not. It does not do that. I think that’s why Senator Rubio, who has seen this conference report as we hear it explained advantaging the wealthiest in America even more than the House or Senate bill did, is having reservations about it.”
On the Need to Address End-of-the-Year Priorities
“…We have never been for a government shutdown. The Republicans, as I said on the Floor today, have on a number of occasions have shut down the government purposefully to accomplish objectives that they want. What we’re saying is, we need to do our work…. So we have time to reach bipartisan agreement on critical issues that must be done. CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, is certainly high on that list. Flood insurance for people damaged by storms is high on that list. Fixing the national security apparatus for protecting the American people from terrorists is high on that list. The Perkins Loan program for students, there are a number of items, I could name five or six others that are high on the list of the things we must get done. We think, frankly, just kicking the can down the road, which we voted for 90 days ago. Unfortunately in that 90 days, none of those have been accomplished. It is time to say, enough is enough of wasting time. Let's do the work of the American people.”
On the GOP Tax Scam
“… I haven't seen the conference report. I asked the Majority Leader a few minutes ago, was it available to be looked at? He indicated that it was not. I don't know exactly what they have done. But I agree with you. I don't think it is a sure thing that it will pass the United States Senate. First of all, what they have done is made it a bill that is even more skewed toward the wealthy in America. The bills, the House and the Senate bills, had millions of people getting a tax hike… The wealthiest people in America were getting 62% of the benefits… I think this conference report will also have the impact of a $25 billion cut in Medicare next year. This is not a bill the American people support. As a matter of fact, the polls show they overwhelmingly oppose it.”
“Well, we think the Republican majority has not done the work of the American people, they have not given us the opportunity to do the work of the American people. They’ve been focused on, really, on two bills, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act -and they took some nine months to try to do that, they failed. They’re now passing a tax bill in the most ramrod way — just ramming it through. No hearings; no witnesses; very little time to consider one of the most complex pieces of legislation that the Congress passes, and that’s a tax bill. We think it is a very negative impact on the American people, and we are pleased that the American people get it. They know what this bill does. It gives money to the rich and does not do much for the working class. That is not a good thing, particularly when you have Speaker Ryan saying that’s the objective of this bill. It is not. It does not do that. I think that’s why Senator Rubio, who has seen this conference report as we hear it explained advantaging the wealthiest in America even more than the House or Senate bill did, is having reservations about it.”
On the Need to Address End-of-the-Year Priorities
“…We have never been for a government shutdown. The Republicans, as I said on the Floor today, have on a number of occasions have shut down the government purposefully to accomplish objectives that they want. What we’re saying is, we need to do our work…. So we have time to reach bipartisan agreement on critical issues that must be done. CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, is certainly high on that list. Flood insurance for people damaged by storms is high on that list. Fixing the national security apparatus for protecting the American people from terrorists is high on that list. The Perkins Loan program for students, there are a number of items, I could name five or six others that are high on the list of the things we must get done. We think, frankly, just kicking the can down the road, which we voted for 90 days ago. Unfortunately in that 90 days, none of those have been accomplished. It is time to say, enough is enough of wasting time. Let's do the work of the American people.”