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Congressman Evans Calls GOP Tax Plan an Attack on Hard-Working Families, Veterans, and Seniors in Philadelphia

November 16, 2017

Today, Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-02), released the following statement after voting "No" on the destructive Republican tax plan.

The Republican tax plan, H.R. 1, is a giant handout to big corporations and wealthy Republican donors. It is a harmful example of what happens when a group of people try to exert their rule over hard-working Americans. The Republican tax plan should be called, the "Job-Killing Tax Cuts Act." The bill we voted on in the House today, did not include one amendment offered by my Democratic colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee—this leaves the American people with a sad collection of tax cuts masquerading as tax reform.

According to one of the leading Hunger-Relief Organizations, Feeding America, H.R. 1 would undermine efforts to assist those who struggle with adequate access to food. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, specifically a member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, I find this entirely unacceptable and cruel. Additionally, the Senate version of this bill includes a measure to repeal the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which would result in 13 million Americans losing their healthcare—a risk we cannot take.

"The Republican tax plan does absolutely nothing to help move our neighborhoods forward," Congressman Evans said. "It is a slap in the face to hard-working families, veterans and seniors in Philadelphia, our Commonwealth and our nation. Today, I voted ‘No' against the destructive bait-and-switch-tax-scam because this bill is sure to grow the national debt and takes our attention away from the real problems facing the American people—like good-paying jobs. At a time when our cities and suburbs are already pressed for funding, this destructive tax plan is yet another way the Republican Party and the Trump Administration are shifting valuable resources away from cities which are in dire need."

"Our cities compete for people. We are in the business of making our city more attractive to current home-owners and new perspective home-buyers. Why on earth would we as a Congress want to support a tax plan that would cause more harm to our neighborhoods? I am in the business of ‘Doing No Harm' to hard-working families, veterans and seniors in Philadelphia and Montgomery County and had no choice today but to vote ‘No' on this destructive and debilitating tax plan," Evans said.

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Media Contact: Becca Brukman, 202-225-4001, Becca.Brukman@mail.house.gov