Deluzio Slams House Passage of Republican Tax Scam

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In overnight and early morning votes in the House of Representatives, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) joined all of his fellow Democratic colleagues and two Republicans to vote 'no' on the Republican Tax Scam bill. The bill narrowly passed the Republican-controlled chamber 214-213 with one Republican voting present.

Among many other elements, the bill would cut taxes for the ultra-wealthy and giant corporations, add trillions to the national debt, cut healthcare for millions, and cut millions in food assistance programs for families, schools, and kids.

Following the vote, Congressman Deluzio released the following statement:

"The bill that Republican politicians shoved through the House of Representatives overnight and through the early morning is a fiscally reckless attack on the basic needs of millions of Americans to help pay for fiscally reckless tax giveaways to the wealthiest people on Planet Earth.

"This policy will likely make our country-including tens of thousands of people in Western Pennsylvania-sicker, poorer, and hungrier."

If passed into law, this could have enormous impacts in Western Pennsylvania. More than 19,600 constituents in Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District could lose their healthcare through the bill's cuts to Medicaid and refusal to renew expiring premium tax credits for healthcare through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Around 100,000 constituents (more than 34,000 households) in Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District use monthly food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including thousands of children. If the $300 billion cut is implemented to the program as the bill passed today requires, many of these Western Pennsylvanians would lose the money they use to buy food. It would also impact farmers and schools, as Congressman Deluzio discussed in a recent visit to Quaker Valley Middle School.

More resources available from the Joint Economic Committee (Democrats)and the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees (Democrats).

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