The GOP tax bill, called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, would disproportionately benefit the wealthy, and new analysis released Tuesday showed that Medicare would suffer automatic cuts under the legislation. (Photo: @thehill/Twitter)
Nov 14, 2017
Progressives on Tuesday urged Trump critics to voice their opposition to the tax bill that House Republicans are hoping to push through, after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the legislation could put billions of dollars in Medicare spending in danger.
Because the bill would add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade, the CBO said in a letter to Congress, the government would be required to automatically cut mandatory spending should the bill pass, under "pay-as-you-go" rules, also known as PAYGO.
To make up for the deficit increase, the government would have to cut $150 billion in spending every year for the next decade.
Under PAYGO, Medicare spending could legally be cut by up to four percent, amounting to $25 billion dollars in cuts next year for the program under which senior citizens are provided with health insurance.
In an interview with the Washington Post, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)'s director of financial security said that a tax plan that takes money away from healthcare programs for the elderly would not be sustainable.
"We think having a simpler tax code is a great idea, but we also need a tax code that produces enough revenue to pay for programs, including Medicare and Medicaid," said Cristina Martin Firvida.
The CBO also estimated that an additional $85-90 billion could be cut from other programs including agricultural subsidies and funds linked to the Affordable Care Act and federal student loans.
The House could vote on its tax bill as early as this week, and opponents of the legislation made urgent calls for action from the Trump resistance.
\u201cBREAKING: Congressional Budget Office: Tax bill will automatically cut Medicare by $25 billion per year almost immediately.The GOP tax bill is a giant trap. It's a corporate tax cut paid for by raising taxes on middle class families. House is voting on it in TWO DAYS! CALL!!\u201d— Mary Jo Pehl (@Mary Jo Pehl) 1510684957
\u201cALARM. \n\nCBO says GOP's tax plan will FORCE $25 billion in MEDICARE CUTS immediately \n\nhttps://t.co/2CwhUxQv2p\u201d— Jesse Ferguson (@Jesse Ferguson) 1510685023
\u201cI know that it's exhausting to fight like hell every week, but there's so much at stake. This tax bill:\n* Raises taxes on 47 million households\n* Cuts corporate taxes\n* Cuts Medicare\n* Eliminates tax help for teachers, veterans, and people with disabilities\n\n#TaxTrapTuesday\u201d— Michael Linden (@Michael Linden) 1510671996
\u201cThis GOP tax bill screws the very @realDonaldTrump voters who need Medicare the most. #WeTriedToTellYa https://t.co/dB4koWFwUZ\u201d— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) 1510687973
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Progressives on Tuesday urged Trump critics to voice their opposition to the tax bill that House Republicans are hoping to push through, after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the legislation could put billions of dollars in Medicare spending in danger.
Because the bill would add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade, the CBO said in a letter to Congress, the government would be required to automatically cut mandatory spending should the bill pass, under "pay-as-you-go" rules, also known as PAYGO.
To make up for the deficit increase, the government would have to cut $150 billion in spending every year for the next decade.
Under PAYGO, Medicare spending could legally be cut by up to four percent, amounting to $25 billion dollars in cuts next year for the program under which senior citizens are provided with health insurance.
In an interview with the Washington Post, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)'s director of financial security said that a tax plan that takes money away from healthcare programs for the elderly would not be sustainable.
"We think having a simpler tax code is a great idea, but we also need a tax code that produces enough revenue to pay for programs, including Medicare and Medicaid," said Cristina Martin Firvida.
The CBO also estimated that an additional $85-90 billion could be cut from other programs including agricultural subsidies and funds linked to the Affordable Care Act and federal student loans.
The House could vote on its tax bill as early as this week, and opponents of the legislation made urgent calls for action from the Trump resistance.
\u201cBREAKING: Congressional Budget Office: Tax bill will automatically cut Medicare by $25 billion per year almost immediately.The GOP tax bill is a giant trap. It's a corporate tax cut paid for by raising taxes on middle class families. House is voting on it in TWO DAYS! CALL!!\u201d— Mary Jo Pehl (@Mary Jo Pehl) 1510684957
\u201cALARM. \n\nCBO says GOP's tax plan will FORCE $25 billion in MEDICARE CUTS immediately \n\nhttps://t.co/2CwhUxQv2p\u201d— Jesse Ferguson (@Jesse Ferguson) 1510685023
\u201cI know that it's exhausting to fight like hell every week, but there's so much at stake. This tax bill:\n* Raises taxes on 47 million households\n* Cuts corporate taxes\n* Cuts Medicare\n* Eliminates tax help for teachers, veterans, and people with disabilities\n\n#TaxTrapTuesday\u201d— Michael Linden (@Michael Linden) 1510671996
\u201cThis GOP tax bill screws the very @realDonaldTrump voters who need Medicare the most. #WeTriedToTellYa https://t.co/dB4koWFwUZ\u201d— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) 1510687973
Progressives on Tuesday urged Trump critics to voice their opposition to the tax bill that House Republicans are hoping to push through, after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the legislation could put billions of dollars in Medicare spending in danger.
Because the bill would add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade, the CBO said in a letter to Congress, the government would be required to automatically cut mandatory spending should the bill pass, under "pay-as-you-go" rules, also known as PAYGO.
To make up for the deficit increase, the government would have to cut $150 billion in spending every year for the next decade.
Under PAYGO, Medicare spending could legally be cut by up to four percent, amounting to $25 billion dollars in cuts next year for the program under which senior citizens are provided with health insurance.
In an interview with the Washington Post, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)'s director of financial security said that a tax plan that takes money away from healthcare programs for the elderly would not be sustainable.
"We think having a simpler tax code is a great idea, but we also need a tax code that produces enough revenue to pay for programs, including Medicare and Medicaid," said Cristina Martin Firvida.
The CBO also estimated that an additional $85-90 billion could be cut from other programs including agricultural subsidies and funds linked to the Affordable Care Act and federal student loans.
The House could vote on its tax bill as early as this week, and opponents of the legislation made urgent calls for action from the Trump resistance.
\u201cBREAKING: Congressional Budget Office: Tax bill will automatically cut Medicare by $25 billion per year almost immediately.The GOP tax bill is a giant trap. It's a corporate tax cut paid for by raising taxes on middle class families. House is voting on it in TWO DAYS! CALL!!\u201d— Mary Jo Pehl (@Mary Jo Pehl) 1510684957
\u201cALARM. \n\nCBO says GOP's tax plan will FORCE $25 billion in MEDICARE CUTS immediately \n\nhttps://t.co/2CwhUxQv2p\u201d— Jesse Ferguson (@Jesse Ferguson) 1510685023
\u201cI know that it's exhausting to fight like hell every week, but there's so much at stake. This tax bill:\n* Raises taxes on 47 million households\n* Cuts corporate taxes\n* Cuts Medicare\n* Eliminates tax help for teachers, veterans, and people with disabilities\n\n#TaxTrapTuesday\u201d— Michael Linden (@Michael Linden) 1510671996
\u201cThis GOP tax bill screws the very @realDonaldTrump voters who need Medicare the most. #WeTriedToTellYa https://t.co/dB4koWFwUZ\u201d— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) 1510687973
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.