Harris Statement on Final Passage of Republican Tax Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement on Monday nights vote on the Republican tax plan: 

“The tax plan approved by my Republican colleagues in the House and Senate today is a gift to corporations and the top 1% at the expense of middle class families. At a time when wages have stagnated and working Americans are trying to do more with less, this tax plan pulls the rug out from the middle class to give billions to those who already have so much. This is an attack on our values, and Americans deserve better.

“Instead of a real middle class tax cut, 83% of the benefits of this bill go to the top 1% over the next decade. While corporate profits are at an all-time high, this plan permanently lowers the corporate tax rate and increases taxes on 57% of middle class Americans over the next decade. Many California families will see a tax increase as a result of changes to the state and local tax deduction. And while millions of Americans are only one trip to the emergency room away from bankruptcy, Republicans have just voted to eliminate the individual mandate and leave 13 million more Americans uninsured over the next decade.

“If we really want to help working Americans, then let’s take up causes that would actually put money into their hands, like raising the minimum wage, making public colleges and universities tuition-free, and guaranteeing access to health care for everyone. There are far better ways to deliver to the American people, and I remain committed to fighting for them.”