Hoyer Remarks at Ways and Means Democrats’ Forum on the GOP Tax Scam
Press Types
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
December 13, 2017
Contact Info:
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) delivered opening remarks at a forum hosted by Ways and Means Democrats to hear from experts on the GOP tax scam that Republicans are jamming through Congress without a single hearing. Below is a transcript of his opening remarks:
“Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your holding this hearing, and I join Leader Pelosi in expressing my deep, deep disappointment in that this legislation is before us. It is dangerous, it is reckless, and it will adversely affect not only our economy, but a very, very large number of Americans. Because the economy will be adversely effected, all Americans will be adversely effected.
“I appreciate the opportunity to be here along with Leader Pelosi, and Chairman Neal, and the members of the Ways & Means Committee. As I said, the bill before us poses great dangers to the American people. Some of those dangers, we already know. We know it relies on the fallacy of supply-side economics. It’s proven again and again – now I came here in 1981, so I’ve been through a number of iterations of these tax bills cutting revenue sharply and misrepresenting that they’ll be paid for by the growth that would follow. That was true in ’01 and ’03 and a few years later we experienced the worst economy and recession that any of us in this room have ever experienced.
“We know that every macroeconomic analysis, even from the Trump Administration’s own Treasury Department agrees it would fail to achieve the Presidents’ failed economic promise of economic growth and add more than a trillion dollars [to the deficit]. We know it fails to focus on cutting taxes for the middle class, instead will raise taxes for 78 million middle-class working people in this country while giving 60% of tax cuts to the top 1%. Speaker Ryan talked about the average family at $59,000 getting a $1,182 a year tax cut. What he did not talk about is that that the 60% was getting a $1,098 per week tax cut. We know it will be a trigger for a $25 billion cut in Medicare next month. And we know it would eliminate health insurance coverage for 13 million Americans.
“Sadly, Secretary Mnuchin did not accept the Ranking Member’s invitation to join us and explain why the Trump Administration believes any of this is good policy. Luckily, we do have, as the Leader has pointed out and Chairman Neal did before I got here, a distinguished panel with us today to share their insights into not only the economic consequences of these tax proposals, but the human consequences as well.
“So I say thanks to all of you. Many of whom I’ve worked with before, certainly the two on your right, I’ve talked to on numerous occasions. Thank you for your input. And I thank Dr. Salantes, and Will, thank you for being with us. We have an opportunity to learn more.
“I want to say something in closing, Mr. Chairman. I want to give you a quote: ‘I think the message of the moment is that the American people all across the country, in even the most liberal state, Massachusetts. Stop this health care bill. I think that means there will be no more health care votes in the Senate prior to the swearing in of Scott Brown, whenever that may be.’ He said that, Senator Mitch McConnell on January 20th. Scott Brown was elected to the Senate on January 19th, the day before.
“There ought not to be another vote in the United States Senate on this bill until the people’s voice of Alabama is seated. Including [in the vote] the present incumbent [Senator Strange], who was defeated in the primary – [he] is not the voice of Alabama. Hopefully, Senator McConnell will have the good sense to follow his own advice, or perhaps this was simply transactional ethics. I hope not.
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your holding this hearing, and I join Leader Pelosi in expressing my deep, deep disappointment in that this legislation is before us. It is dangerous, it is reckless, and it will adversely affect not only our economy, but a very, very large number of Americans. Because the economy will be adversely effected, all Americans will be adversely effected.
“I appreciate the opportunity to be here along with Leader Pelosi, and Chairman Neal, and the members of the Ways & Means Committee. As I said, the bill before us poses great dangers to the American people. Some of those dangers, we already know. We know it relies on the fallacy of supply-side economics. It’s proven again and again – now I came here in 1981, so I’ve been through a number of iterations of these tax bills cutting revenue sharply and misrepresenting that they’ll be paid for by the growth that would follow. That was true in ’01 and ’03 and a few years later we experienced the worst economy and recession that any of us in this room have ever experienced.
“We know that every macroeconomic analysis, even from the Trump Administration’s own Treasury Department agrees it would fail to achieve the Presidents’ failed economic promise of economic growth and add more than a trillion dollars [to the deficit]. We know it fails to focus on cutting taxes for the middle class, instead will raise taxes for 78 million middle-class working people in this country while giving 60% of tax cuts to the top 1%. Speaker Ryan talked about the average family at $59,000 getting a $1,182 a year tax cut. What he did not talk about is that that the 60% was getting a $1,098 per week tax cut. We know it will be a trigger for a $25 billion cut in Medicare next month. And we know it would eliminate health insurance coverage for 13 million Americans.
“Sadly, Secretary Mnuchin did not accept the Ranking Member’s invitation to join us and explain why the Trump Administration believes any of this is good policy. Luckily, we do have, as the Leader has pointed out and Chairman Neal did before I got here, a distinguished panel with us today to share their insights into not only the economic consequences of these tax proposals, but the human consequences as well.
“So I say thanks to all of you. Many of whom I’ve worked with before, certainly the two on your right, I’ve talked to on numerous occasions. Thank you for your input. And I thank Dr. Salantes, and Will, thank you for being with us. We have an opportunity to learn more.
“I want to say something in closing, Mr. Chairman. I want to give you a quote: ‘I think the message of the moment is that the American people all across the country, in even the most liberal state, Massachusetts. Stop this health care bill. I think that means there will be no more health care votes in the Senate prior to the swearing in of Scott Brown, whenever that may be.’ He said that, Senator Mitch McConnell on January 20th. Scott Brown was elected to the Senate on January 19th, the day before.
“There ought not to be another vote in the United States Senate on this bill until the people’s voice of Alabama is seated. Including [in the vote] the present incumbent [Senator Strange], who was defeated in the primary – [he] is not the voice of Alabama. Hopefully, Senator McConnell will have the good sense to follow his own advice, or perhaps this was simply transactional ethics. I hope not.
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”