Dear Friends, 

This week, the Ways and Means Committee considered Republican legislation that would cut programs like Medicaid and SNAP to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent. Under their plan, the richest 0.1% would see an average annual tax cut of $278,000, while nearly 14 million Americans would lose their health insurance. I want to thank everyone who shared stories with me on how you or your loved ones could be impacted. My colleagues got to hear straight from you on Tuesday. You can view my full remarks below.

During our committee markup, my Democratic colleagues and I introduced 38 amendments to help families and seniors make ends meet, including our proposal to triple the Child Tax Credit for working parents. Expanding the Child Tax Credit could cut child poverty in half. We did it before, and we can do it again. Every Republican on the committee voted no.

I also offered an amendment to enhance Social Security and stop taxing benefits, a promise President Trump made that House Republicans reneged on. In fact, 24 million Americans will still pay taxes on Social Security benefits if their bill passes. If billionaires can get tax cuts, so should the millions of Americans who earned their benefits after a lifetime of hard work. Every Republican voted to reject my amendment, but I won’t be giving up as we work to not just protect but enhance Social Security.

Amidst widespread oppositions from Americans across the country, a group of House Republicans voted earlier today to reject the bill in its current form. However, this fight isn’t over. Some of my Republican colleagues actually oppose this bill because they want to see even steeper cuts to Medicaid! I will continue to do everything I can to defeat this bad deal for the people.

To follow what I’m working on both in Washington and in Connecticut, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or follow me on Instagram.     

Regards,

John B. Larson
Member of Congress