SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER

Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.

* indicates required
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
'We Do Not Forgive...We Do Not Forget': Angry Vows to Oust GOP After Tax Scam Vote

In the days and weeks before the GOP pushed through its unpopular tax bill, thousands of Americans descended on lawmakers' offices and marched on Wall Street to protest the legislation. (Photo: @mbreaul1/Twitter)

'We Do Not Forgive...We Do Not Forget': Angry Vows to Oust GOP After Tax Scam Vote

With eye on 2018, progressives vow to undo the damage done by the #GOPTaxScam

As congressional Republicans celebrate their narrow passage of a tax overhaul bill that has the approval of only 33 percent of Americans, progressive leaders urged supporters to keep their anger over the legislation, called the #GOPTaxScam by critics, in mind as the country heads into 2018.

By approving this measure, said Indivisible in a statement, the Republicans have "demonstrated that they care not for their constituents, or for democratic institutions, or even for objective reality. They care only about power and the short-term enrichment of themselves and their wealthy donors."

"Our message to the GOP is simple," said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, in a tweet. "We will replace you, and then we will repeal your god-awful legislation."

But even though the proposal, if fully enacted, will to lead to "pain and suffering" for years to come, said Levin, his group and others vowed to hold the Republicans accountable. "This is the GOP's Ghost of Christmas Future," he said. "They will be replaced, and their abominable legislation will be repealed."

"Our message to the GOP is simple: We will replace you, and then we will repeal your god-awful legislation."--Ezra Levin, Indivisible

"Americans won't forget," said Frank Clemente, executive director of AFT, in a statement. "They'll remember who swindled them to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations that ship jobs offshore. They'll remember who is taking away healthcare from 13 million people while lowering taxes for Donald Trump and his heirs."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) warned on her Twitter account that Republicans will face a "reckoning" as a result of their votes.

Eight Republican senators are up for re-election in the coming year, while 239 Republicans in the House will have to convince voters that they deserve to retain their seats despite their support of a bill that tax policy analysts say will benefit corporations and the wealthy while raising taxes on working families.

Opponents of the bill say that support for the legislation will become even weaker as Americans experience its effects. The law will temporarily lower taxes on lower- and middle-class households, but judging from the bill's low approval ratings, few Americans seem convinced that those short-term cuts are worth supporting. By 2027 those cuts will expire, leaving 53 percent of households with higher tax bills.

Within a decade, according to Americans for Tax Fairness (AFT), 83 percent of the overhaul's benefits would go to the wealthy. The Congressional Budget Office has also said that the estimated $1.5 trillion deficit caused by the bill's tax cuts to the rich will trigger cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) warned in his final floor remarks just after midnight prior to the vote, the Republican Party--despite their celebrations and grandstanding--will ultimately "rue the day" they passed this bill.

On social media, critics rallied supporters in preparation for the coming election year.

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.