Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference on the Six Month Anniversary of the GOP Tax Scam
Press Types
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
June 22, 2018
Contact Info:
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC – On the six-month anniversary of President Trump signing the GOP tax scam into law, House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined House Democrats and Americans impacted by the GOP tax scam for a press conference to highlight the harmful impact of the law. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
“We are here today because it is the six-month anniversary of the tax bill. Six months ago the Republicans passed a hastily written tax law that added $1.8 trillion to the deficit in order to give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest in our country. It came to the Floor without hearings, no witnesses, no testimony, and frankly, without proofreading.
“It will cause taxes to go up for 86 million middle-class Americans and gives 83% of its benefits to the top one-percent. Said another way, the bottom 99% got 17% of the resources. And six months after its enactment, none of the promises that Republicans made are coming into fruition.
“Contrary to what the Majority Leader tried to say on the Floor today, Republicans promised that American workers would receive a $4,000 raise, but wages are falling. They said that the families struggling from paycheck-to-paycheck would see real relief, and then they upped their health care costs, very substantially, obliterating any increase that they had gotten. They promised that companies would use their tax cuts to hire more workers and raise wages, but many companies are laying off workers, and many more are using their tax cuts to enrich investors to buy back stocks.
“House Republicans said all Americans would be better off, and six months later, we know that is not true for many, many middle-class Americans.
“Today, we are joined by a small business owner who will discuss how the law has created more uncertainty and complexity for his business. We’ll hear from a mom who is facing the prospect of skyrocketing health insurance premiums as a direct result of the tax law. We’re joined also by a Medicare recipient, who is concerned, correctly so, how the tax law will put at risk seniors’ access to doctors and care.
“That’s why as more time passes and Americans learn what is in this law, the more unpopular it becomes.
“Democrats will continue to hold Republicans accountable for their vote to raise taxes on middle class families, kick millions off their health insurance, and make the tax code more, and more, and more confusing. Their mantra was they we’re going to simplify. They did not do that.
“Now, I am pleased to yield to the Leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.”
“We are here today because it is the six-month anniversary of the tax bill. Six months ago the Republicans passed a hastily written tax law that added $1.8 trillion to the deficit in order to give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest in our country. It came to the Floor without hearings, no witnesses, no testimony, and frankly, without proofreading.
“It will cause taxes to go up for 86 million middle-class Americans and gives 83% of its benefits to the top one-percent. Said another way, the bottom 99% got 17% of the resources. And six months after its enactment, none of the promises that Republicans made are coming into fruition.
“Contrary to what the Majority Leader tried to say on the Floor today, Republicans promised that American workers would receive a $4,000 raise, but wages are falling. They said that the families struggling from paycheck-to-paycheck would see real relief, and then they upped their health care costs, very substantially, obliterating any increase that they had gotten. They promised that companies would use their tax cuts to hire more workers and raise wages, but many companies are laying off workers, and many more are using their tax cuts to enrich investors to buy back stocks.
“House Republicans said all Americans would be better off, and six months later, we know that is not true for many, many middle-class Americans.
“Today, we are joined by a small business owner who will discuss how the law has created more uncertainty and complexity for his business. We’ll hear from a mom who is facing the prospect of skyrocketing health insurance premiums as a direct result of the tax law. We’re joined also by a Medicare recipient, who is concerned, correctly so, how the tax law will put at risk seniors’ access to doctors and care.
“That’s why as more time passes and Americans learn what is in this law, the more unpopular it becomes.
“Democrats will continue to hold Republicans accountable for their vote to raise taxes on middle class families, kick millions off their health insurance, and make the tax code more, and more, and more confusing. Their mantra was they we’re going to simplify. They did not do that.
“Now, I am pleased to yield to the Leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.”