[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S1262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          REPUBLICAN TAX BILL

  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, we heard a whole lot about the tax bill 
the Republicans passed, and it basically works like this: We borrow 
$1.5 trillion from our children and we give that money to the richest 
Americans. And then when there is a little bit of help for middle-class 
workers--and I mean a little--we say: Well, that is really cool.
  I like that we are doing a little for the middle class, but I don't 
like the fact that for every dime to help a middle-class worker, we 
gave away a dollar to the richest Americans. In other words, America 
has been robbed in the biggest bank heist ever, and then it was 
justified by distributing a modest amount to our workers. Even then, 
they included a provision that will drive up the premiums for 
healthcare by more than 10 percent next year, on top of whatever rises 
are driven by the drug companies. So whatever modest gain there is for 
the middle class is wiped out by more expensive healthcare in America.
  So we hear these big, sophisticated arguments: Oh, well, a worker 
here or there got a bonus. A worker here or there got their wages 
increased. But they don't tell you that they gave $1 trillion to the 
richest Americans. Why not? Why not be honest about the whole entire 
scope of this tax rip-off, borrowing from our children to enrich the 
richest Americans?
  As one House Member said, here is what this is all about: This is 
about the fact that my rich donors won't vote for me and won't support 
me in the next election unless I vote to give them all this money.
  That is what happened here, and it is not OK because we see the 
consequences. We have a budget that attacks the foundations for 
families to thrive. It takes a trillion dollars out of healthcare. 
Well, that trillion dollars went to the richest Americans. Then the 
President gets to the budget and takes a trillion dollars out of 
healthcare, takes money out of affordable housing. Housing is a very 
important foundation for families to thrive. So it attacks healthcare 
and housing, and then it attacks public education.
  Quite frankly, because all those resources were taken off the table 
that could have been invested in infrastructure and jobs in America, it 
also undermines the concept of a living-wage job, which is the 
principle that nobody who works full time in America should live in 
poverty in America.
  The majority has conducted the biggest bank heist in history, and 
they come to the floor and defend this time and time again without 
sharing the honest facts with the American people, as I have just 
shared them with you.

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