Tax Reform Heads to a Vote in the House

By MB -
US Capitol dome Jan 2006This week, the House is scheduled to vote on H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. H.R 1 proposes many changes that have been extensively covered in the news- you can read about some of them here.

Many reports indicate that wealthier individuals and families will benefit most from the plan. TIME, Business Insider, and NPR each published models of the tax reform proposal based on different family types and incomes. In all three reports, higher income earners see more tax savings.

Currently, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the plan would add $1.45 trillion to the deficit, although they cannot do a final score before the vote on Thursday. Advocates worry that the increased deficit will lead to cuts to important programs (such as Medicaid, job training, and college aid) down the road - and legislators agree that if tax reform happens now, deficit reduction will follow next year.

Action Steps

  • The Coalition on Human Needs (along with Americans for Tax Fairness and the Communications Workers of America) set up a toll free number to call Congress about the tax plan: 877-795-7862. Here's a sample script: "My name is ___, and I live in ___'s district. I am calling today to ask you to vote ___ on the tax reform bill."
    • You can add this from CHN if you prefer: "I am willing to pay my fair share, but corporations and the wealthiest Americans should be willing as well. We must invest in the key services our nation needs, not starve them of funding."
  • Write a letter to Congress asking them to support working families in tax reform via Prosperity Now.

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