Hartford Reporter

Washington, D.C. - During the Ways and Means Committee markup of the Republican tax plan, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) spoke out against their plan to cut taxes for the wealthy and well-connected and leave working-class Americans behind. Republicans also rejected an amendment Larson co-sponsored to lift the cap on the State and Local Tax deduction to prevent working families from being double-taxed.  

You can watch Rep. Larson’s remarks here.  

"Connecticut has the distinction of being the #1 donor state in the country, proud that for every dollar we send to the federal government, we get back 85 cents because we believe in the importance of funding the government,” said Larson. “What we don’t believe in is an arbitrary decision made by this Committee to then double tax the people of the state of Connecticut. There’s no hiding from it. This is a glaring atrocity and what it has done to working people all across my state. Again, who are more than happy to pay their fair share but then to be doubly burdened so that trillions of dollars can go to a tax cut to the nation’s wealthiest 1%? That is outlandish.

“Shortly after the Republican manufactured debt crisis was resolved- where they held our economy hostage in a failed attempt to get cuts to Social Security and Medicare- my Republican colleagues are putting forward their tax bill. It’s clear Republicans’ version of “fiscal responsibility” is major tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations while continuing their threats to balance the budget on the backs of Social Security recipients. I will continue the fight in Congress to protect and expand this program, not enact cruel cuts,” Larson concluded.

According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the Republican tax plan would give the top 1% of earners a tax cut of $16,560, while the bottom 20% of earners would see a tax cut of only $40.  

Issues: Economy

Original source can be found here.