AFT on TAX REFORM - Get the Facts and Let Your Voice be Heard

Randi Weingarten, Office of the President 

To

AFT Members

 Dec 15 at 2:20 PM

I didn’t think it was possible, but the Republicans have managed to use their conference committee to make their tax bill even sweeter for the rich.

Even as they’ve rushed this bill through, the American people are seeing right through the lies. They get that it benefits the wealthy at the expense of everyone else.

We have given this fight everything we have, and because of your activism, and the grass-roots activism of our members and allies, we have mitigated some of the damage.

We’ve been able to protect the tax credit for teachers who buy their own classroom supplies, the deductions for medical expenses and student loans, some of the deduction for mortgages and state and local taxes, and the tax-free status of graduate student tuition waivers.

But make no mistake: This is still a bad bill. It’s a holiday present for big corporations and GOP donors, part of a right-wing ideology that puts corporations ahead of the middle class.

Attached is a one-pager with details of what’s currently in the bill. It would:

§  Provide a massive tax cut to millionaires and corporations. More than 60 percent of the tax cuts would go to the richest 1 percent of American citizens.

§  Raise taxes on more than 80 million middle-class families (those making under $200,000, including more than 60 million making under $100,000).

§  Raise taxes on working families by reducing the state and local tax deductions used by middle-class families (deductions that help support investments in public services like education, public safety, healthcare and infrastructure) while retaining the full SALT deduction for businesses and corporations.

The long and short of it is that this bill hurts working families and increases the deficit, all for a tax cut for the wealthy and corporations, while doing nothing to raise wages, provide investments or help the middle class.

Although there are many variables at play, we think that the Senate will debate the bill Monday and vote on it Tuesday. If the bill passes, it would then go to the House, where we expect a vote on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I know it is an uphill fight, but we still have a chance to stop this bill. We need to fight until the end and continue to pressure House and Senate Republicans to vote against it. I ask that you:

§  Call your House member and senators.

§  Do everything you can to encourage your membership to call their representatives (www.aft.org/call-now).

§  Share my New York Times column, which will be posted online Sunday, discussing these issues.

This has been a hard fight, but I’m extremely proud of the way the AFT and our members have helped make a difference in this battle. I know it’s the holidays and you deserve a break, but we only need a few votes to stop this bill.

Thank you.

In solidarity,

Randi